UNIVERSITY  OF 

ILLINQ!Q  »  JRRARY 

AT  URDA ...          AMPA1GN 

ILL  HIST.  SURVEY 


RECOLLECTIONS 


OF 


MY    LIFE 


FIFTY  YEARS  OF 


ITINERANCY  IN  THE  NORTHWEST 


BY 


CHAUNCEY  HOBART,  D.  D. 


BED  WING: 
BED  WING  PBINTIKQ  OO. 

1885. 


fO  the  friends  whose  generosity  has  made  the 
publication  of  these  Recollections  possible; 
and  to  my  dear  wife  and  youngest  son,  who  have 
encouraged  me  to  believe  that  their  perusal  will 
strengthen  the  faith  and  inspire  the  hope  of  the 
reader;  this  book  is  affectionately  dedicated  by 

THE  AUTHOE. 
BED  WING,  Minn.,  April  2,  1885. 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  I. 

Ancestry  —  Early  Recollections  —  St.  Albans  —  Essex — 
Home  Life — Going  to  Mill — First  School  —  Early  Religious 
Impressions Page  9 

CHAPTER  II. 

First  Camp-meeting — Second  Camp-meeting 21 

CHAPTER  III. 

Starting  for  the  West— All  Aboard — Westward  Ho !— Ohio 
School — Jourueyings — Pocket  Bible — Camping — Our  Cabin 
Home — Kickapoos — Sickness — Be-kik-a-nin-ee '25 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Mother's  Faith — Levin  Green 47 

CHAPTER  V. 

Bee  Hunting  —  Indian  Visitors  —  Indian  Stores  —  First 
School — New  Settlers— First  Marriage — First  Birth— First 
Sunday  School 51 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Desire  for  Knowledge  —  Circulating  Library — Religious 
Convictions— Band  Mill— Rafting— First  Rifle — Busy  Days 
— Change  of  Residence — Horse  Mill — More  New  Settlers — 
Circuit  Preaching — First  Quarterly  Meeting — Going  to  St. 
Louis — Man  in  the  River — Hunting — Ague 56 


b  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Black  Hawk  War  .............................  Page    73 

CHARTER  VIII. 
Sugar  Creek  Mill—  Father's  Death  ..................     78 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Second  Black  Hawk  War  —  Skirmishing  —  My  Mother's 
Marriage  ............................................  82 

CHAPTER  X. 

A  Meteoric  Display  —  My  Conversion  —  Joining  the  Church 
—  Pulaski  Camp-meeting  —  Local  Preachers  —  Marriage  — 
Cholera  .............................  .  ...............  86 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Steward—  Study  —  Licensed  to  Exhort—  Call  to  Preach  — 
Revivals  and  Conversions  —  Licensed  to  Preach  ........  93 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Rushville  Conference  —  Received  on  Trial  —  Peter  R.  Borein 
—  Rockingham  Circuit  —  Circuit  Riding  —  Hunting  a  Bed  — 
Meeting  a  Universalist  —  Watch-night  Meeting  at  Rock 
Island  -Taking  a  Plunge  —  A  Congregationalist  Tttrns 
Methodist  —  Great  Camp-meeting  .....................  103 

CHAPTER 


Jacksonville  Conference  —  Knoxville  Circuit  —  My  Col- 
league —  Swimming  for  Life  —  Ellison  Camp  Meeting  — 
Frank  Suapp  —  Bro.  Mings  —  My  Little  Calvin  —  Conference 
of  1838  ..............................................  130 

CHARTER  XIV. 

Macomb  Circuit  —  Warner  Oliver  —  Unitarianism  at  La 
Harpe  —  Dr.  Peter  Akers  —  Bilious  Fever  —  A  Rich  Bless- 
ing —  Going  to  Conference  ............................  144 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Sent  to  Quincy  —  Revival  —  Bro.  Clowse  —  Mormon  Contro- 
versy —  Religious  Interest  —  Volunteer  Camp-meeting  .  .  .  152 


CONTENTS.  7 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Springfield  Conference  —  Returned  to  Quincy — Earnest 
Work -Mother  Murphy — Conference  Sermon  —  Rush ville 
Station— Revival— Tug  of  War Page  167 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Two  Days'  Meeting  at  Sugar  Creek — Stationed  at  Peoria  I/" 
— Building  a  Parsonage — Stationed  at  Jacksonville — Billy 
Milburn — Eulogy  on  Gen.  Jackson — Returned  to  Jackson- 
ville— Stationed  at  Springfield — China 190 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Clark  Street  Church,  Chicago — A  Troublesome  Presiding 
Elder — Good  Meetings — A  Strange  Death — Great  Conven- 
tion— Sunday  at  the  Pavilion 211 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Racine  District— Miss  Frances  E.  Willard — Catfish  and 
Indian  Ford — Volunteering  for  Minnesota 225 

CHAPTER  XX. 

St.  Paul,  Minnesota — A  Little  Trip— Chaplain  of  the  First 
Legislature — Beloit  Conference — Quarterly  Meeting — Poor 
Dave — Baraboo — Through  the  Wilderness — Porcupine  Feast 
— Great  Camp-meeting — Waukesha  Conference — General 
Conference,  1852,  at  Boston — Trip  to  New  York — Begging — 
Sandy  Lake 233 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

Stationed  in  Milwaukee — Burned  Out — Conference  at 
Janesville — Milwaukee  District — Stationed  at  Red  Wing — 
General  Conference  at  Indianapolis — My  Willie — Lake  City 
— Prescott  District — A  Spiritist  Mad — District  Work — Con- 
ference at  Prescott — A  Steep  Ride — General  Conference  at 
Buffalo,  1860 — A  Colored  Preacher — Judge  Gale — Sawing 
the  Chippewa — War — Chaplain  of  Third  Minnesota — Illness 
— Return  Home — Winona — Thomas  Simpson  and  wife. .  268 


8  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEE  XXH. 

Sioux  Massacre — Stationed  at  Prescott — Rido  with  Bishop 
Ames  —  Christian  Commission  —  Colored  Class-meeting  — 
General  Conference  at  Philadelphia — Little  Johnny  Doughty 
— Stationed  at  Market  Street,  St.  Paul — Little  Jenny  Mur- 
ry — Member  of  the  General  Mission  Committee — Board 
of  Church  Extension — Horrors  of  War — Assassination  of 
President  Lincoln — Red  Wing  Circuit — Peace— Camp-meet- 
ing— Winona  District — Death  of  my  Wife Page  323 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Rochester  Conference — Bishop  Simpson — Visit  to  New 
York — Protracted  Meeting —  Brothers  Norton  —  Valuable 
Gift — General  Conference  at  Chicago — House-keeping — St. 
Paul  District — Trip  to  Pembina — Hobart  Chapel — Harrison 
Brothers— Red  Wing  Circuit 365 

CHAPTER   XXIV. 

Centennials — American  Independence — Methodism — Re- 
tiring from  Active  Service — Chaplain  to  the  Legislature — 
Winter  in  California — Red  Wing  Circuit — Sickness — Dun- 
can's Mills — Temperance  Work — Ranche  at  Chico— Last 
Word  . .  .402 


ERRATA. 

On  page  10,  seventh  line  from  top,  read,  1781 
instead  of  "1728." 

On  page  273,  third  line  from  top,  read,  P.  S. 
Bennett,  I.  M.  Lcihy,  C.  liobart,  E.  Cook  and 
E.  Yocum,  instead  of  "I.  M.  Leihy,  C.  Hobart 
and  H.  Summers." 

On  page  369,  ninth  line  from  the  bottom,  read, 
birilt  1  ar (jeli i  with,  instead  of  "built  with." 


prisoned. 

My  immediate  ancestor,  Edmond  Hobart,  emi- 
grated from  England  in  1632, — made  his  home  in 
Hingham  near  Boston  in  1633 — and  was  joined 
by  his  son  Peter  in  1636. 


8  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Sioux  Massacre — Stationed  at  Proscott — Bido  with  Bishop 
Ames  —  Christian  Commission  —  Colored  Class-meeting  — 
General  Conference  at  Philadelphia — Little  Johnny  Doughty 
— Stationed  at  Market  Street,  St.  Paul — Little  Jenny  Mur- 
ry — Member  of  the  General  Mission  Committee — Board 
of  Church  Extension — Horrors  of  War — Assassination  of 


l\ec©llecfi©r)S  •  erp  Ix/V  • 


CHAPTEIl  I. 

rT7HE  name  which  I  inherit  is  probably  as  old  as 
the  Norman  conquest — and  is  alluded  to  in 
English  history  as  "highly  respected  in  the  county 
of  Norfolk  for  many  generations  before  1611, — 
when  a  baronetcy  was  conferred  on  Sir  James 
Hobart — Knight, — Attorney-General,  and  of  the 
Privy  Council  of  Henry  VII. " 

"Sir  Henry  Hobart — Knight, —  Chief  Justice 
of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas" — is  also  mentioned 
as  a  man  of  note  in  the  17th  Century.  Sir  Miles 
Hobart,  Member  of  Parliament  in  the  stormy  ses- 
sion of  1627-8,  when  he  helped  to  hold  the  Speaker 
in  the  chair,  while  certain  strong  resolutions  were 
passed,  and  afterwards  locked  the  door,  while  they 
were  being  published, — and  for  which  he  was  im- 
prisoned. 

My  immediate  ancestor,  Edmond  Hobart,  emi- 
grated from  England  in  1632, — made  his  home  in 
Hingham  near  Boston  in  1633 — and  was  joined 
by  his  son  Peter  in  1636. 


10  RECOLLECTIONS. 

Peter  Hobart  was  a  graduate  of  Westminster 
University.  He  was  a  Puritan  minister  at  Hing- 
ham,  Eng.,  and  with  some  forty  of  his  flock  emi- 
grated and  settled  at  Hingham,  Mass. 

My  father,  Calvin  Hobart,  the  fifth  in  descent 
from  Peter — was  born  in  New  Hampshire,  May 
28,  1728.  My  mother,  Sallie  Norris,  daughter  of 
Capt.  Benjamin  Norris,  of  Dorchester,  N.  H.,  was 
born,  in  Dorchester,  April  1,  1785.  My  paternal 
and  maternal  grandfathers  were  soldiers  in  the 
Revolutionary  war,  in  which  each  lost  a  brother. 

My  parents  were  married  by  Elijah  Hedding, 
at  the  residence  of  the  bride's  father,  March  12, 
1809.  Both  being  at  the  time  members  of  the  M. 
E.  church.  They  immediately  removed  to  St.  Al- 
bans,  Vt.,  and  settled  on  the  beautiful  shore  of  Lake 
Champlain,  six  miles  from  the  village.  Here  I  was 
born  on  June  9,  1811,  the  youngest  of  twin  sons, 
named  respectively  Norris  and  Chauncey.  At  the 
breaking  out  of  the  war  of  1812,  at  the  earnest 
solicitation  of  my  grandparents,  who  feared  an 
Indian  foray  from  Canada,  on  the  eastern  shore  of 
Lake  Champlain,  where  my  parents  lived,  they 
removed  to  the  town  of  Essex,  twenty  miles  in  the 
interior. 

My  first  recollections  begin  with  the  summer 
of  1813,  when  but  little  over  two  years  old.  On 
one  occasion  my  mother  sent  me  to  take  a  sieve 
to  her  aunt,  Mrs.  Samuel  Hazeltine,  twenty-five 
rods  distant,  and  had  pinned  a  little  red  shawl  over 
my  head  and  shoulders.  Just  before  reaching  the 
house  an  old  turkey  gobbler,  attracted  by  my  red 


RECOLLECTIONS.  11 

costume,  began  to  strut  and  gobble  around  me  at 
a  fearful  rate.  I  stopped  a  moment — hesitating 
as  to  whether  I  should  fight,  run  or  cry — when  my 
good  aunt  ended  the  difficulty  by  coming  out,  driv- 
ing off  my  persecutor  and  taking  me  into  the  house. 
I  also  remember,  the  following  spring,  of  at- 
tending a  quarterly  meeting,  held  in  the  barn  be- 
longing to  my  mother's  uncle,  Samuel  Hazeltine. 
During  the  service,  myself  and  brother  sat  on  the 
floor,  and  as  the  service  was  rather  tedious  for  little 
folks,  we  began  to  amuse  ourselves,  and  Norris 
began  to  talk.  The  presiding  elder,  Rev.  Bromley, 
seeing  my  mother's  anxiety  to  quiet  the  child  and 
also  to  hear  the  sermon,  undertook  to  assist  her,  and 
supposing  that  he  could  awe  the  little  fellow  into 
quietness,  stopped,  and  looking  at  him  said  sternly: 
"Little  boy,  you  must  not  talk!"  Norris  straight- 
ened himself  back,  and  fixing  his  eyes,  as  black  as 
Erebus,  on  the  elder,  said  in  about  the  same 
measured  distinct  tones:  "  I  will  talk!"  At  which 
an  almost  audible  smile  stole  over  the  faces  of  the 
audience,  while  my  mother  took  up  the  youngster 
and  carried  him  out  of  doors. 

Another  memory  of  these  early  days  is,  that 
myself  and  little  brother  were  sent  to  bring  home  a 
pair  of  shoes,  left  at  Grandpa  Stockwell's,  to  be  re- 
paired. As  we  started  home  we  were  greatly  de- 
lighted to  find  a  nice  baked  apple  in  each  shoe. 
To  suit  more  fastidious  tastes  than  were  ours  that 
day,  we  will  suppose  that  each  apple  was  daintily 
wrapped  in  tissue  paper,  yet,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  I 
have  no  such  recollection. 


12  RECOLLECTIONS. 

On  one  occasion,  in  September,  1814,  while  our 
parents  attended  a  quarterly  meeting  at  Jericho, 
fifteen  miles  away,  we  (Norris  and  myself)  were 
left  at  the  home  of  Peter  Hobart  during  their  ab- 
sence. On  that  Sunday  afternoon  I  very  distinctly 
remember  hearing  a  heavy  distant  sound  as  of 
thunder,  and  of  being  told  by  the  boy  and  girl  who 
had  us  in  charge:  "  Hark!  Do  you  hear?  That  is  the 
cannon  where  they  are  fighting  over  in  Plattsburg!" 

My  parents  returned  to  St.  Albans  in  the 
spring  of  1815.  For  beauty  and  picturesqueness 
nothing  to  my  mind  excells  the  landscape  as  vieAved 
from  this  point  of  the  eastern  shore  of  Lake 
Champlain.  Two  miles  to  the  west  lies  Butler's 
Island,  and  a  little  to  the  left  Ward's  Island,  each 
containing  about  two  hundred  acres.  Two  miles 
still  further  west  stretches  that  gem  of  beauty 
known  as  Grand  Isle.  While  twelve  miles  to  the 
northwest  through  the  gap  between  the  north  end 
of  Grand  Isle  and  the  west  end  of  Hog  Island  lie 
the  clear,  blue  waters  of  the  main  lake. 

Where  the  road  through  my  father's  land 
touched  the  shore  from  the  east,  ran  a  beautiful 
gravelly  beach,  with  an  irregular  line  of  rocks  along 
the  water's  edge,  affording  one  of  the  most  con- 
venient and  attractive  places  for  angling.  Here, 
on  the  shore  of  this  beautiful  lake,  in  sight  of  the 
far-off  Adiroiidacks  in  the  west,  and  the  snow- 
capped peaks  of  the  Green  Mountains,  on  the  east, 
the  pleasant  days  of  my  early  boyhood  were  passed. 

From  the  spring  of  1815,  until  my  father  started 
for  the  west  in  1821,  I  have  no  recollection  of  a 


RECOLLECTIONS.  13 

sorrow  or  care,  save  when  parental  faithfulness  or 
pedagogical  prerogative  held  me  responsible  for 
juvenile  indiscretions.  My  parents  were  in 
my  estimation  models  of  everything  good.  I 
thought  my  father  the  wisest,  strongest  and  hand- 
somest man  in  the  world,  and  my  mother  the  em- 
bodiment of  all  that  was  noble  in  womanhood,  and  I 
had  no  idea  that  there  was  anything  knowable 
that  they  did  not  know.  As  they  had  each  been 
teachers  before  their  marriage,  devoutly  and  prac- 
tically religious,  and  were  sincerely  devoted  to  each 
other,  I  think  now  as  then,  that  there  are  but  few 
households  which  furnished  more  of  real  enjoy- 
ment than  did  theirs. 

My  father  was  a  carpenter  and  joiner  as  well  as 
farmer;  my  mother,  the  daughter  of  a  New 
England  farmer,  and  a  model  housekeeper  after  the 
models  of  that  day;  both  were  good  singers  and 
above  their  neighbors  in  intelligence.  They  were 
the  peace-makers  of  the  neighborhood,  and  in 
church  and  social  life  succeeded  in  retaining  the 
esteem  and  confidence  of  all  who  knew  them. 

My  first  attendance  at  school  was  in  the  winter 
of  1816-17.  My  father  being  the  teacher.  Nothing 
unusual  occurred  until  the  winter  before  I  was 
eight  years  old,  when  my  father  took  my  twin 
brother  and  myself  in  his  sleigh  to  the  mill  in 
Swanton,  six  miles  distant,  and  across  the  Missisco 
river,  in  order  that  we  might  do  the  milling  for 
the  future.  Accordingly,  the  next  spring  I  was 
mounted  on  the  top  of  three  bushels  of  grain  thrown 
over  the  back  of  an  old,  bay  mare,  and  rode  away 


14  RECOLLECTIONS. 

to  mill,  walked  my  horse  call  the  way.  there,  got 
my  grist  ground  and  was  home  again  before  sun- 
down, being  warmly  congratulated  on  my  return 
by  my  mother  as  having  accomplished  quite  a  feat. 
The  next  grist  was  taken  by  my  brother,  and  this 
alternation  of  going  to  mill  was  continued  until  our 
tenth  year.  I  remember  also  that  about  the  time 
of  our  first  going  to  mill,  a  neighbor,  whose  son 
was  a  year  older  than  we  were,  asked  my 
mother  to  allow  me  to  go  to  mill  for  her.  In  very 
clear,  decided  Anglo-Saxon  words,  yet  with  nothing 
unfriendly  in  look  or  tone,  mother  replied:  "No; 
your  boy  is  older  than  mine.  It  is  bad  enough  to 
have  the  child  go  for  ourselves!"  On  one  of  my 
milling  trips,  about  this  time,  I  was  asked  by  the 
miller  if  my  father  and  mother  were  dead.  He 
aff ected  surprise  when  I  told  him  they  were  both 
living.  No  doubt  the  feat  of  crossing  the  river  on 
a  ferry  with  our  old  horse  and  riding  the  twelve 
miles  with  our  sacks  of  grain  or  flour  seemed  to  the 
old  man  quite  an  exploit,  for  two  little  fellows  of 
our  size  and  age. 

During  the  winter  that  part  of  the  lake  near  our 
home  was  a  fine  place  for  skating.  The  anchor  ice 
would  form  along  the  shore  until  some  two  or  three 
hundred  feet  wide,  outside  of  which  the  ice  would 
be  as  smooth  as  glass  and  twenty  to  thirty  inches 
thick.  On  this  all,  from  boys  of  ten  to  veterans 
of  seventy,  were  in  the  habit  of  enjoying  them- 
selves in  the  manly  art  of  skating.  Tales  of  won- 
derful speed  were  common.  It  was  said  that  feats 
of  a  mile  a  minute  had  been  performed. 


EECOLLECTIONS.  15 

The  following  story  I  heard  then,  and  have 
learned  since  was  a  fact: 

During  the  war  of  1812  the  British  had  a  fort  at 
St.  Johns  at  the  lower  end  of  the  lake,  while  the 
Americans  had  one  at  Whitehall  at  the  head  of 
the  lake.  The  forts  being  one  hundred  and  twen- 
ty-five miles  apart.  In  the  winter  of  1813  a 
number  of  American  prisoners  were  kept  at  St. 
Johns.  One  pleasant  day,  the  Indians  obtained 
permission  to  take  a  prisoner  out  on  the  ice,  in 
order  to  enjoy  themselves  at  his  expense,  supposing 
it  likely  that  he  knew  nothing  of  the  art  of  skating, 
and  promising  that  he  should  not  escape. 

Accordingly,  when  on  the  ice  a  good  pair  of 
skates  were  given  to  him,  these  he  put  on  awkward- 
ly, pretending  he  could  scarcely  stand,  staggering 
slipping  and  falling.  This  the  Indians  enjoyed 
supremely.  But  after  straining,  fixing  and  refix- 
iug  his  skates,  until  the  fit  was  perfect,  he  began  to 
improve  in  gait  and  to  get  off  a  little  distance  from 
his  tormentors  going  to  and  fro  near  them  several 
times  until  the  wary  Indians  were  actually  off  their 
guard.  Then  finding  himself  about  ten  rods  from 
the  nearest  of  them — he  struck  out  boldly  for  the 
Lake.  Raising  the  war  whoop  his  captors  started 
in  hot  pursuit.  Whatever  of  muscle  or  skill  was  pos- 
sessed by  either  party  was  brought  into  immedi- 
ate requisition.  Pursuit  was  vain.  In  less  than 
half  an  hour  the  prisoner  who  was  an  old  Cham- 
plain  skater  was  half  a  mile  ahead.  The  pursuers 
were  distanced,  gave  up  the  chase,  and  the  escaped 


16  EECOLLECTIONS. 

prisoner  in  about  four  hours  reported  at  Whitehall 
for  duty. 

My  first  summer  school  was  in  1817,  taught  by 
Miss  Jane  Todd,  whom  I  think  of  as  wise,  kind  and 
good,  and  who  succeeded  in  very  sensibly  managing 
the  forty  juveniles,  she  assisted  in  climbing  the 
hill  of  science. 

Morals  and  manners  were  a  part  of  our  daily 
routine.  We  were  taught  that  we  must  go  to  and 
return  from  school  in  a  quiet,  orderly  way.  If  we 
met  any  one  older  than  ourselves,  to  politely  step 
aside,  the  boys  to  take  off  their  caps  and  bow,  and 
the  girls  to  courtesy  as  the  stranger  passed. 

The  work  of  my  brother  and  myself  about  this 
time  during  our  ninth  and  tenth  years  was,  in  the 
spring,  to  assist  in  sugar  making,  commencing 
about  the  25th  of  March,  and  continuing  until  late 
in  April.  Then  plowing,  planting  and  making 
garden,  etc.,  until  hoeing  time.  After  this  we  went 
into  the  haying;  afterwards  the  small  grain  was  to 
be  harvested,  and  then  the  harvest  of  fruit.  Most 
of  the  farmers  in  the  fall  and  winter  were  occu- 
pied in  making  potash  from  the  ashes  produced  in 
the  burning  of  the  huge  logs  which  accumulated 
in  clearing  the  land.  Stock  raising,  especially  in 
the  line  of  cattle  and  sheep  was  followed  to  a  limit- 
ed extent,  and  in  these  varied  pursuits  we  assisted. 

In  the  spring  of  1816  my  grandfather,  Jonas 
Hobart,  came  with  his  family  to  live  with  my  father 
occupying  adjoining  houses.  After  his  coming 
"Grandpa"  took  the  direction  in  planting  and  hoe- 
ing. And  in  our  busy  out  door  life  we  were  con- 


RECOLLECTIONS.  17 

tinually  plying  him  with  questions  about  the  Rev- 
olutionary war:  about  the  wound  he  had  received 
in  the  fighting  just  before  Burgoyne's  surrender;  of 
his  brother  Isaac's  death  at  the  battle  of  Bunker 
Hill ;  and  innumerable  other  questions  as  they  were 
suggested  by  childish  curiosity.  And  I  have  a 
grateful  recollection  that  he  was  always  pleased  to 
talk  with  us  and  tell  us  all  that  he  knew.  I  said 
to  him  on  one  occasion,  "Grandpa,  if  you  could 
find  the  man  that  killed  your  bfother  Isaac,  and 
knew,  that  he  was  the  very  man  would  you  kill  him  ?" 
His  answer  was  "Yes!"  with  such  an  arousemeiit  of 
energy  and  flashing  of  eye  that,  to  this  hour,  I  not 
only  hear  but  see  the  answer.  It  was  soon  after 
this  that  during  the  summer  we  were  first  permit- 
ted to  fish;  an  enjoyment  which  we  improved  dur- 
ing the  successive  summers  that  we  lived  on  the  lake 
shore,  and  it  was  not  unusual  for  us  to  bring  home 
from  three  to  a  dozen  fine  pan  fish.  Black  bass, 
pickerel,  perch,  shiners,  bullheads,  catfish,  eels,  and 
other  kinds,  we  caught  with  hooks;  while  sturgeons, 
muscalunge  and  many  other  kinds  the  men  caught 
with  seins.  I  well  remember  finding  a  large  pin 
which  I  bent  into  a  hook,  tied  it  to  a  short  line,  ob- 
tained a  stick  about  five  feet  long  for  a  pole,  and 
dropping  my  line  into  a  hole  between  two  rocks — 
pulled  out  eleven  large  perch  in  less  than  twenty 
minutes.  I  was  then  about  eight  years  old  and 
carried  my  perch  home  and  presented  them  to  my 
mother  with  about  as  much  consciousness  of  self- 
importance  as  had  Wellington,  probably,  011  his  re- 
turn from  Waterloo. 


18  RECOLLECTIONS. 

The  winters  then,  as  I  remember  them,  were 
long  and  cold.  The  snow  often  coming  and  hiding 
out  of  sight  fences  and  stumps.  The  summers 
were  enjoyable  and  full  of  delight.  The  forests 
and  fields  verdant  and  gay,  alive  with  thousands  of 
birds  of  every  hue,  who  sought  a  northern  clime  in 
which  to  rear  their  young,  and  whose  many  notes 
rendered  both  field  and  forest  a  vast  orchestra. 

The  social  life  of  the  community  was  vigorous 
and  pleasant.  The  ladies  had  their  quiltings  and 
other  parties.  The  men  their  "bees,"  trainings,  elec- 
tions and  "Fourth  of  July."  I  also  remember 
hearing  of  a  certain  class  who  patronized  balls  and 
dances;  but  of  these  we  knew  nothing  definite  as  the 
people  called  Methodists  frequented  no  such  gath- 
erings. Drunkenness  was  considered  disgraceful, 
but  moderate  drinking  was  almost  universal. 
Quarrelling  sometimes  occurred  but  fighting  never. 
A  man's  person  was  deemed  sacred  but  his  repu- 
tation might  be  assailed  with  impunity.  To  ques- 
tion a  man's  veracity  was  hardly  considered  an  of- 
fense, but  to  touch  one's  person  or  property  was  a 
crime  which  must  be  settled  by  the  courts. 

In  my  seventh  year  there  came  to  me  my  first 
remembered  conscious  impressions  of  personal  re- 
ligious obligation.  I  had  been  taught  to  pray  from 
my  cradle,  the  "Lord's  Prayer"  and  other  petitions, 
by  my  dear  mother,  and  I  thought  that  all  was 
well  with  me — and  I  have  no  doubt  it  was.  At 
this  time  there  came  to  visit  us  several  of  my 
mother's  cousins,  all  warm  hearted  zealous  Metho- 
dists, not  only  converted  but  anxious  to  "tell  to 


RECOLLECTIONS.  19 

sinners  round,  what  a  dear  Savior  they  had  found." 
One  of  these,  a  young  lady,  took  me  on  her  knee 
and  told  me  of  God,  of  Christ,  of  the  Savior's  death 
and  of  my  obligation  to  pray  to  him  in  secret.  She 
also  obtained  from  me  a  promise,  that  I  would  pray 
in  secret,  which  promise  I  kept.  These  extra  re- 
ligious observances  satisfied  my  conscience  and 
gave  me  no  small  amount  of  satisfaction.  We  were 
as  a  family,  including  myself  and  twin  brother,  my 
brother  Truman,  aged  four  and  Elizabeth  K.  aged 
two  years,  in  the  habit  at  this  time  of  attending 
preaching,  prayer  and  class  meetings  and  love  feasts. 
From  these  means  of  grace  I  began  to  acquire  a 
correct  idea  of  conversion  and  of  the  duties,  obliga- 
tions and  privileges  of  religious  life.  Indeed,  my 
impression  then,  was  that  I  was  doing  all  that  the 
Lord  required  of  a  little  boy,  and  enjoying  about 
all  that  a  little  boy  had  a  right  to  expect.  I  confi- 
dently believed  that  when  I  reached  the  age  of  ten 
or  twelve  I  should  be  "called"  in  some  special  and 
satisfactory  manner,  and  that  I  would  then  ex- 
perience religion  as  my  father  and  mother  had  ex- 
perienced it,  and  after  that,  should  enter  fully  into 
all  those  enjoyments  of  which  I  had  heard  others 
speak. 

This  impression  of  a  special  call  before  conver- 
sion arose,  from  the  fact,  that  previous  to  their  con- 
version to  Methodism  my  grandfathers  and  grand- 
mothers, all  four  of  them,  had  been  members  of  the 
Calvinistic  Baptist  church  and  that  my  parents 
were  educated  under  that  influence. 

This  conviction  had  a  benificial  influence  on  my 


20  EECOLLECTIONS. 

conduct.  I  was  kept  from  profanity  and  from  Sab- 
bath breaking  and  if  I  found  myself  at  any  time  be- 
trayed into  anger  I  could  get  no  rest  until  I  found 
some  place  to  pray,  and  had  made  an  humble  con- 
fession, and  asked  forgiveness  of  the  Lord  for  my 
sin. 

When  ministers  and  other  religious  people  came 
to  our  house,  and  began  to  talk  of  their  experience 
— their  trials,  conflicts  and  victories,  I  used  to  get 
as  near  to  them  as  I  could  and  listen  with  the 
greatest  interest  to  their  conversation.  It  seemed 
to  me  that  I  had  some  relation  to  them,  and  that 
when  the  Lord  should  give  me  the  expected  "call," 
I,  too,  would  find  all  that  these  so  joyfully  narrated. 

Our  circuit  preaching  was  on  Friday — once  in 
two  weeks.  And  the  preachers  on  the  St.  Albans 
circuit  then  were  men  of  strength.  Among  these 
I  remember  Bernaii,  Stratton,  Covel,  Bromley,  Good- 
sell  and  Dunbar.  All  of  these  were  men  of  re- 
nown afterward  most  of  them  presiding  elders. 
And  in  those  days  and  for  years  after  to  be  a  pre- 
siding elder  was  Methodistically  "to  be  greater 
than  a  king." 


RECOLLECTIONS.  21 


CHAPTEE II. 

7VT  Y  first  camp-meeting  to  which  I  was  taken  by 
(G)  *•  my  parents, was  held  in  Peru,  New  York,  on  the 
west  side  of  Lake  Champlain.  The  ministers  pre- 
sent were  Rev's  Beman,  Mitchell,  Bromley  and 
others,  men  of  power.  Instead  of  having  an  altar 
before  the  stand  there  was  arranged  a  circle  for 
prayer,  out  in  the  middle  of  the  camp  ground  about 
one  hundred  feet  in  diameter.  This  circle  was  made 
by  the  members  taking  each  other  by  the  hand  and 
all  who  desired  to  take  part  in  the  meeting  or  to  as- 
sist their  friends  who  were  seeking  salvation  were 
permitted  to  enter  and  the  exercises  were  kept  up 
within,  almost  continuously,  when  there  was  no 
public  preaching.  In  the  centre  of  this  prayer 
circle,  and  standing  about  twenty  feet  apart,  were 
two  trees.  Between  these  trees,  for  about  three 
days  and  nights,  no  one  could  pass  without  falling, 
losing  their  strength  and  becoming  unconscious 
to  all  outward  things. 

This  now  strange  phenomenon,  called  by  some 
"having  the  power,"  by  others  "fanaticism,"  was 
regarded  by  the  pious  then,  as  the  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  and  an  agency  used  by  the  Almighty, 
to  wake  up  a  sleeping  church  and  community,  to 
the  great  facts  of  revelation  and  religion. 

The  second  camp-meeting  which  I  attended,  was 


22  RECOLLECTIONS. 

held  in  Georgia,  Franklin  County,  Vt.,  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1821,  J.  B.  Stratton  presiding  elder  and,  I 
think,  Rev's  Covel  and  Dunbar,  circuit  preachers. 
There  was  some  little  friction  here  growing  out  of 
the  fact,  that  the  elder,  who  had  married  into  a 
Presbyterian  family,  had  made  it  the  standing  rule 
of  the  meeting,  that  all  exercises  should  cease,  and 
the  lights  be  extinguished  at  10  p.  M."  This,  it 
wras  alleged,  was  done  to  please  his  wife's  friends, 
who  had  been  induced  to  attend  the  camp-meeting 
—it  was  contrary  to  previous  usage,  and  Elder 
Bromley,  who  had  had  charge  of  the  District,  the 
year  before,  was  so  "tried"  that  he  would  not 
preach.  In  vain  did  the  preachers  and  people 
urge  ;  —  he  would  not  preach  with  a  gag  in  his 
mouth,  nor  while  the  people  were  restrained  in 
any  way  from  the  enjoyment  of  the  largest  relig- 
ious liberty. 

This  unpleasantness  was  rather  calculated  to 
dampen  the  enthusiasm  of  the  meeting,  when  at 
last,  on  Saturday  evening,  Elder  Strattoii  probab- 
ly to  prevent  a  failure,  said  to  Elder  Bromley — 
"All  the  brakes  are  taken  off"  and  that  he,  (Elder 
B. ) — must  preach  on  the  coming  Sunday  at  10,  A. 
M.  I  distinctly  remember  that  my  father  said  to 
me,  that  Sunday  morning  as  we  took  our  seats — 
(myself  at  the  root  of  a  tree) — "Now  my  son, 
you  must  hear  every  word,  and  tell  me  something 
of  what  the  preacher  said  after  the  service!" 

This  quickened  my  attention  and  I  remember 
now,  after  sixty-four  years,  that  the  text  was  Isaiah 
XII,  containing  six  verses — the  whole  of  which 


RECOLLECTIONS.  23 

was  used  as  the  text  that  morning.  The  sermon 
was  an  earnest  one,  and  spoke  of  the  wrath  of  God, 
the  turning  away  of  that  wrath,  the  mighty  com- 
fort secured,  and  of  the  Water  of  Life  drawn  from 
the  well  of  salvation.  During  the  earlier  part  of 
the  sermon,  the  tide  of  feeling  was  evidently  ris- 
ing, as  attested  by  responses  from  every  portion 
of  the  great  congregation ;  but  it  was  the  last  part, 
while  the  preacher  was  commenting  on  the  sixth 
verse — "Cry  out  and  shout,  thou  inhabitant  of 
Zion,  for  great  is  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  in  the 
midst  of  thee,"  that  interested  me  most;  and  this, 
it  was  that  I  repeated  to  my  father  after  the  ser- 
vice— as  he  inquired,  what  I  remembered?  In  the 
earnest  tone  and  impassioned  manner  of  the 
preacher  and  imitating  his  style  as  nearly  as  I 
could  I  exclaimed:  "Away  with  your  pop  gun  re- 
ligion!— Give  us  a  six  pounder! — A  twelve  pound- 
er! — A  twenty-four  pounder! — The  bigger  the  bet- 
ter!!" 

In  the  earlier  part  of  the  meeting  and  preced- 
ing the  removal  of  the  10  o'clock  p.  M.  limit,  per- 
haps on  Friday  evening,  there  was  a  very  warm 
prayer  meeting  in  progress  at  my  father's  tent, 
during  which  several  were  converted  and  some  re- 
claimed. The  meeting  was  going  on  with  increas- 
ing interest  when  the  hour  of  ten  arrived,  a  few 
minutes  after  which,  one  of  the  preachers  came  in 
and  reminded  those  present  that  the  meeting  must 
close,  and  the  lights  be  extinguished." 

This  was  done,  much  to  the  regret  of  all,  and  es- 
pecially of  my  mother,  but  would  have  been  borne, 


24  RECOLLECTIONS. 

probably  without  expostulation,  had  not  the  same 
preacher,  with  one  or  two  others  come  the  next 
morning,  and  said  rather  facetiously;  "Now  sisters 
you  may  shout  as  much  as  you  please!"  This  was 
too  much  for  my  mother  to  bear,  and  turning  to 
the  speaker  she  said:  "Now  Brother,  I  am  tried! 
I  am  hurt  deeply  at  two  things  which  you  have 
done !  Last  night  when  the  Lord  was  preciously 
near,  and  some  of  our  dear  neighbors  were  being 
reclaimed  and  others  converted,  you  came,  and  in- 
sisted on  closing  the  meeting,  telling  us  that  we 
must  put  out  the  lights  and  retire.  Now  this 
morning,  when  we  are  all  busy  with  our  breakfast, 
you  come  and  say,  'Now  sisters  you  may  shout!' 
What  would  you  think  of  us  if  we  should  begin  to 
shout  now,  just  because  you  told  us  we  might?" 
This  put  the  matter  in  a  rather  strong  light  and 
ended  anything  like  levity  on  the  subject,  espec- 
ially as  my  mother  was  known  to  be  no  shouter, 
though  she  did  not  object  to  others  shouting  when 
they  felt  like  it. 


RECOLLECTIONS.  25 


CHAPTEK  III. 

TOURING  the  summer  of  1814,  when  it  was  ex- 
^  pected  that  the  was  with  England  would  con- 
tinue, several  regiments  had  been  enlisted  in  New 
England,  composed  principally  of  young  men ;  with 
the  intention  of  carrying  the  war  into  Canada  the 
next  year.  But  as  the  war  closed  in  December,  these 
recruits  were  sent  to  the  west  and  stationed  at  dif- 
ferent forts,  along  the  Mississippi,  Missouri  and 
other  frontier  posts.  They  were  discharged  in 
1819  and  returned  to  their  New  England  homes, 
bringing  wondrous  reports  of  the  west.  They 
stated,  that,  in  Illinois  and  Missouri,  hundreds  of 
tons  of  hay  could  be  cut  for  nothing;  that  corn 
grew  so  high,  that  many  of  the  ears  could  not  be 
reached  by  a  man  standing  on  the  ground;  that 
from  eighty  to  one  hundred  bushels  of  corn  could 
be  raised  on  an  acre;  that  the  soil  was  more  than 
two  feet  deep  and  inexhaustibly  rich,  and,  that  in 
many  places  you  could  plow  a  furrow  six  miles 
long  without  touching  a  stone,  stump  or  tree. 
They  told  that  the  climate  was  mild  and  delight- 
ful, and  that  cattle  could  live  without  being  fed  or 
sheltered  during  the  winter,  in  the  southern  part 
of  Illinois  and  anywhere  in  Missouri. 

Many  of  the  people  regarded  these  reports  as 


26  RECOLLECTIONS. 

unreliable,  exaggerated  and  altogether  of  the  Mun- 
chausen  school.  But  with  my  father  it  was  differ- 
ent. He  knew  several  of  these  men  and  believed 
their  statements  to  be  true.  The  consequence  was, 
he  determined  to  sell  out,  and  find  a  home  in  Illi- 
nois. Accordingly  he  sold  his  house  and  farm  for 
three  quarter  sections  of  land,  situated  in  the 
"Military  Bounty  Tract."  This  tract  lies  between 
the  Illinois  and  Mississippi  rivers,  and  extends 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  river  to  near  the 
mouth  of  Kock  river,  thence  east  to  the  Illinois. 
The  land  which  he  purchased  all  lay  within 
Schuyler  county. 

Preparations  for  the  journey  were  made  during 
the  summer,  by  gathering  his  harvests  and  turning 
personal  property  into  teams,  wagons  and  money. 

In  the  meantime  while  these  were  being  carried 
out,  an  old  friend  of  my  father's,  a  friend  of  his 
youth,  Mr.  Enock  Danforth,  with  wife,  determined 
to  join  him  in  his  expedition  to  the  west.  To 
facilitate  matters,  Mr.  Danforth  and  family  moved 
into  a  part  of  our  house  and  the  friends  were  mu- 
tually helpful  in  getting  ready  for  the  long  journey. 

The  summer  passed  pleasantly  and  on  the  25th 
of  August,  1821,  teams  and  wagons  being  provided, 
goods  packed  and  everything  in  order,  we  were 
"all  aboard"  about  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
and  ready  to  start. 

I  well  remember  the  occasion,  about  two  hun- 
dred of  our  friends  and  neighbors  had  gathered. 
Friends  who  had  known  and  loved  my  parents 
from  childhood  were  there.  Many  tears  were  shed, 


EECOLLECTIONS.  27 

many  kind  wishes  expressed,  many  prayers  uttered 
and  many  blessings  invoked. 

After  my  father  had  stepped  into  the  wagon,  and 
had  taken  the  reins  in  his  hand,  he  stood  up  and 
made  a  little  speech. 

He  expressed  his  appreciation  of  their  kindness, 
as  neighbors  and  friends  in  the  years  that  had 
passed,  and  said,  that  if  life  and  health  were 
spared,  and  he  should  prosper  he  hoped  in  ten 
years  to  come  back  on  a  visit. 

The  last  good-byes  were  said,  the  word  was  given 
and  we  started  for  the  far  west. 

The  first  afternoon,  we  only  made  the  short  stage 
of  about  three  miles  to  the  Bay,  where  we  stopped 
over  night,  with  an  old  friend,  Elijah  Dunton, 
whom  we  children  knew  as  "Uncle  Lijah."  The 
next  day  we  reached  Essex  in  the  neighborhood  of 
which  we  had  lived  from  1812  to  1814.  From 
Essex  we  moved  westward  via  Burlington  and  Ver- 
gennes.  At  the  last  point  named  we  learned  some- 
thing more  of  a  Mr.  Spencer,  father  of  Judge 
Spencer  of  Eock  Island  and  grandfather  of  Rev. 
Spencer,  of  Eock  Eiver  Conference.  Of  this 
gentleman  my  father  had  had  some  knowledge, 
and  learned  that  he  had  started  for  Illinois  in 
the  early  summer  of  1821,  two  months  previous. 
About  the  tenth  day  we  arrived  at  the  home  of  my 
uncle,  Amos  Hobart,  who  lived  in  the  eastern  part 
of  New  York.  Here  we  rested  three  days,  passing 
the  Sabbath. 

Proceeding  westward,  we  passed  through  Utica, 
crossed  Cayuga  Lake  on  a  long  bridge,  and  going 


28  RECOLLECTIONS. 

through  Batavia,  came  to  Buffalo.  At  Buffalo  we 
rested  two  days  with  Mr.  Folsom  and  wife,  who 
were  old  New  Hampshire  friends  of  my  father  and 
mother.  This  city,  now  one  of  such  wealth  and 
importance,  was  then  but  a  small  village. 

From  Buffalo  we  traveled  along  the  shore  of 
Lake  Erie,  over  a  very  rough  and  muddy 
road,  for  many  miles,  immediately  on  the  brink 
of  a  precipice,  over  four  hundred  feet  deep,  which 
constituted  the  shore  of  the  lake.  Towards  the 
last  of  October,  we  reached  Painesville,  Ohio. 
Here  we  rested  about  a  week  with  my  mother's 
oldest  brother,  Benjamin  Norris,  Jr.,  a  well-to-do 
farmer  who  had  been  there  several  years. 

Here  it  was  thought  best,  in  view  of  the  near 
approach  of  winter  and  the  bad  condition  of  the 
roads,  which  from  freezing  and  thawing  were  near- 
ly impassable,  and  as  we  must  go  through  this 
then  new  and  but  little  improved  country,  to  find, 
soon,  some  neighborhood,  where  work  could  be 
obtained  and  living  would  be  cheap,  for  the  winter. 
For  this  purpose,  we  drove  on  to  Hudson,  Portage 
county,  and  stopped  three  miles  west  of  that  vil- 
lage, in  the  Darrow  neighborhood.  The  country 
around  here,  had  been  settled  about  twenty  years, 
and  the  people  were  generally  thrifty,  intelligent 
and  pious.  We  were  soon  comfortably  situated  for 
the  winter,  plenty  of  work  for  my  father,  and  a 
good  school  for  us  near  by.  The  most  of  the  peo- 
ple in  that  vicinity  were  Presbyterians  from  Con- 
necticut, but  my  parents  were  greatly  pleased  to 
learn,  that  there  was  also  a  class  of  Methodists, 


RECOLLECTIONS.  29 

and  that  there  was  preaching  in  the  school  house 
once  in  two  weeks — Billings  O.  Plympton,  circuit 
preacher,  and  William  Swayzie,  presiding  elder. 

The  school  for  the  winter  term  soon  opened,  with 
Leander  Sackett,  teacher.  And  for  the  next  four 
months,  we  little  folks  were  about  as  contented 
and  happy  as  it  falls  to  the  lot  of  most  mortals  to 
be.  Father  and  mother,  busily  at  work  and  my 
brothers  N orris  and  Truman,  sister  Lizzie  and  my- 
self going  to  school.  Our  grandparents  and  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Danforth,  who  had  traveled  in  company 
with  us,  also  found  comfortable  dwellings  near  us. 
The  winter  proved  a  mild  and  open  one,  so  that 
the  time  passed  very  swiftly. 

The  school  which  we  attended  numbered  about 
fifty  pupils,  and  was  of  about  the  same  grade  as 
the  one  we  had  left  in  St.  Albans,  except  that,  be- 
sides the  spelling  book,  Geography  and  New  Tes- 
tament, we  here  found,  and  for  the  first  time  saw, 
the  English  Reader. 

In  the  course  of  the  winter,  having,  as  we  our- 
selves and  as  our  teacher  supposed,  developed  our 
ability  very  considerably  in  spelling,  a  proposition 
was  sent  from  our  school  to  a  school  two  miles  east 
of  us,  to  meet  in  a  spelling  match.  To  our  invita- 
tion they  did  not  respond,  but  in  a  week  or  so 
sent  their  teacher  down  to  visit  our  school,  one 
Friday  afternoon,  in  time  to  hear  the  exercises  of 
our  spelling  class.  He  was  courteously  received 
by  our  teacher,  Mr.  Sackett,. and  when  the  "first- 
class,"  of  which  I  had  the  honor  to  be  a  member, 
was  called  to  take  its  place,  the  book  was  handed 


30  RECOLLECTIONS. 

to  the  visiting  teacher,  with  the  request  that  he 
would  give  out  the  spelling  lesson.  As  he  took  the 
book,  Webster's  old  spelling  book,  he  inquired  of 
Mr.  Sackett  where  the  lesson  was.  "Anywhere 
you  please,"  was  the  reply.  The  gentleman  hesi- 
tated a  moment,  then  turned,  I  think,  to  the  twen- 
ty-sixth table,  consisting  of  words  in  which  the 
hard  sound  of  ch  is  found,  beginning  with  Christ, 
chyle,  scheme,  ache,  &c.,  and  he  announced  the 
first  word.  This  word,  "Christ,"  was  spelled  by 
the  first  boy,  when  without  waiting  for  the  giving 
out  of  another  word,  the  class,  one  after  another, 
spelled  each  successive  word  in  the  table  of  some 
two  hundred  of  the  most  difficult  words  oP  that 
style.  It  was  done  promptly  round  and  round, 
without  any  mistake  or  trepidation.  When  the 
last  word  had  been  spelled,  the  visitor,  turning  to 
Mr.  Sackett,  remarked:  "You  have  given  some 
special  attention  to  this  table,  have  you  not?" 
"No,  sir!"  replied  Mr.  Sackett,  "no  more  than  to 
any  other  part  of  the  book!"  This  was  indeed 
true.  However,  we  never  succeeded  in  getting  an 
invitation  after  that,  to  go  up  and  spell  with  our 
visitor's  school,  nor  in  getting  them  to  accept  an 
invitation  to  come  down  and  spell  with  us. 

Thus  for  four  months,  our  school  progressed, 
not  without  the  usual  admixture  of  fun  and  frolic, 
mischief  and  meanness,  and  a  fair  amount  of  good 
hard  study;  then  it  was  closed  with  a  turn  out  of 
a  large  number  of  the  patrons  of  the  school  to  wit- 
ness our  closing  exercises,  and  dismissed  with  kind 
words  of  commendation. 


RECOLLECTIONS.  31 

In  the  spring,  the  first  Sunday  school  ever  held 
in  that  neighborhood  was  organized,  which,  we 
also,  for  the  first  time  attended.  There  was  no 
literature  extant  for  Sunday  schools  at  that  time; 
but  we  had  our  Bibles,  and  with  these  and  good, 
pious  teachers,  no  difficulty  was  found  in  making 
and  keeping  up  an  interest.  Our  program  was: 
first  singing,  then  prayer,  next  the  Bible  lesson 
and  the  recitation  of  verses,  which  we  were  re- 
quired to  memorize.  Afterwards  the  superintend- 
ent catechised  the  school  on  the  lesson  studied,  and 
closed  with  singing  and  the  benediction. 

At  the  first  meeting  of  our  new  Sunday  school, 
it  was  announced,  that  a  pocket  Bible  would  be 
given  as  a  reward  to  the  scholar,  who,  at  the  end 
of  two  months,  had  learned  and  recited  the  great- 
est number  of  verses,  from  the  New  Testament. 
Of  course,  this  was  the  occasion  of  much  excite- 
ment. Such  a  prize  was  rare,  indeed,  and  many 
started  in  to  obtain  it,  if  possible.  On  the  next 
Sabbath,  I  recited  three  chapters,  and  was  among 
the  foremost  that  day.  This  success  added  to  my 
already  fixed  purpose,  to  earn  the  prize,  others 
beside  myself  being  equally  determined  to 
win.  But  on  the  third  Sabbath  there  appeared  a 
new  contestant,  a  stranger  lately  come  to  the  place, 
Julia  Burnett,  a  girl  of  about  thirteen,  who  re- 
peated, on  that  day,  for  her  first  effort,  seven  chap- 
ters in  Matthew's  Gospel.  On  the  following  Sun- 
day, she  completed  the  Gospel  of  Matthew  and 
recited  several  chapters  in  Mark;  on  the  fourth 
Sunday,  she  finished  Mark,  and  could  have  re- 


32  RECOLLECTIONS. 

peated  nearly  all  of  Luke,  had  her  teacher  had 
sufficient  time  to  hear  her.  This  settled  the  mat- 
ter; she  walked  through  the  Gospels,  and  finished 
the  New  Testament.  She  took  the  prize,  obtaining 
the  much  desired  pocket  Bible,  bound  in  red  mo- 
rocco, all  the  rest  of  us  having  thrown  up  our  hats, 
and  retired  from  the  contest,  long  before  the  expi- 
ration of  the  two  months.  What  the  subsequent 
history  of  Julia  Burnett  was,  I  never  knew,  but 
she  excelled  in  her  ability  to  memorize  any  one  of 
her  age  whom  I  have  ever  known. 

My  father's  intention,  when  he  stopped  in  Ohio, 
in  the  fall  of  1821,  was  to  move  on  in  the  early 
spring.  But  in  March,  1822,  he  was  attacked  with 
a  slow  debilitating  fever,which  continued  until 
past-midsummer  and  prevented  our  going  for- 
ward until  the  latter  part  of  August.  This  delay 
discouraged  Mr.  Danforth,  who  concluded  to  go 
no  further  west  but  to  find  a  home  in  that  part  of 
Ohio  where  we  had  wintered.  During  our  stay  in 
Hudson,  my  father  had  learned  that  an  uncle  of 
his,  William  Hobart,  had  settled  in  that  part  of 
Ohio,  a  few  years  before,  and  that  his  home  was 
some  twenty  miles  away,  and  made  it  convenient 
to  visit  him.  He  found  that  his  uncle  was  dead, 
that  his  sons  were  scattered  and  that  his  daugh- 
ter Prudence  was  the  only  one  of  his  uncle's 
family  left  there.  She  had  married  a  Mr.  Taylor. 
Her  second  sou  William  Hobart  Taylor,  then  just 
twenty-one  years  old,  was  at  home  with  her  and 
agreed  to  accompany  my  father  to  Illinois.  But 
in  consequence  of  his  continued  poor  health  we 


EECOLLECTIONS.  33 

did  not  leave  Hudson  until  the  first  of  September. 
Then  we  were  all  in  readiness,  and  started  again 
with  two  teams,  one  driven  by  my  father,  the  other, 
containing  my  grandparents  and  Miss  Ruth 
Powers  their  granddaughter,  was  driven  by  our 
cousin,  W.  H  Taylor.  The  country  over  which 
we  traveled  was  new,  and  the  roads  rough  and 
heavy.  Boots  and  stumps  were  abundant  and 
corduroy  roads,  of  indefinite  length  continuous. 
Our  route  lay  from  Hudson,  through  Medina 
and  parallel  with  Lake  Erie,  leaving  Sandusky, 
twenty  miles  to  the  right,  thence  to  Columbus,  and 
then  on  to  Dayton,  where  we  turned  south,  and 
went  to  Cincinnati,  where  an  uncle  of  my  mother, 
Andrew  Norris,  had  settled  a  few  years  before. 
We  stopped  in  Cincinnati  two  days  with  a  son  of 
Uncle  Andrew  and  then  drove  out  twelve  miles 
and  stayed  four  days  with  Uncle  Andrew  Norris. 
On  our  arrival  at  the  home  of  this  uncle,  who  had 
had  no  intimation  of  our  coming,  we  were  wel- 
comed with  a  heartiness  that  I  now  recall  very 
vividly.  This  visit  was  to  our  relations  a  most 
pleasant  surprise,  and  a  source  of  much  joy.  I 
remember  our  Aunt  Norris,  clasping  my  mother 
in  her  arms,  then  holding  her  off,  clasping  her 
closely  again,  and  exclaiming  "Why  this  is  Ben's 
Sally!" 

While  resting  in  this  friendly  home  we  assisted 
in  gathering  in  the  apple  harvest.  Before  leaving, 
on  Monday  morning,  we  were  well  supplied  with 
tubs  and  sacks  full  of  fine  apples,  which  we  en- 
joyed during  the  remainder  of  our  journey,  and 


34  RECOLLECTIONS. 

which  were  the  last  apples  that  we  tasted  for  about 
nine  years,  or  until  we  raised  them  ourselves  on 
the  prairies  of  Illinois. 

Our  next  drive  was  to  Brookville  in  Indiana 
where  we  spent  the  night.  After  this,  for  ten 
nights  and  days  we  were  in  a  densely  wooded 
country  without  any  regular  roads,  only  such  as 
travelers  and  frontier-men  had  improvised  for 
their  own  immediate  necessity.  Neither  was  there 
any  inn  or  place  of  shelter,  so  that  we  were  obliged 
to  camp  out.  This  was  a  novel  experience.  There 
was  no  difficulty  in  finding  a  good  camping  place 
under  the  great  beech  trees  and  the  beds  of  dry 
leaves  that  had  been  accumulating  for  years,  but 
the  trouble  was  to  find  good  water.  Hence  every 
brook  was  noted  as  the  spot  in  which  to  camp,  and 
except  on  two  occasions,  we  succeeded  in  finding 
camps  well  supplied  with  water,  and  in  these  in- 
stances we  gathered  an  aromatic  herb,  known  as 
spice  brush,  and  knowing  that  the  water  was  bad, 
boiled  it  and  made  spice  brush  tea  to  drink. 

Around  these  camping  places,  on  the  bark  of 
the  smooth  beech  trees,  we  found  registered  the 
names  of  many  travelers,  who  had  preceded  us — 
with  the  date  of  their  advent  there,  and  the  place 
from  whence  they  came  and  where  they  were 
going.  With  special  delight  my  father  found  the 
names  of  our  friends,  the  Spencer's  from  Vergen- 
nes,  who  had  taken  the  same  route  about  a  year 
previous. 

These  ten  days  were  especially  wearisome  and 
full  of  hardships.  They  served  however,  to  de- 


RECOLLECTIONS.  35 

velop  one  feature  of  American  character,  the 
ability  to  accomodate  one's  self  to  his  environment. 

These  days  of  toil  brought  us  to  Terre 
Haute,  where  we  crossed  the  Wabash  river,  and 
entering  Illinois  we  drove  to  Colonel  Austin's,  near 
where  Paris  has  since  been  built.  His  home  was 
situated  on  the  eastern  border  of  that  wonderful 
plat  of  fertility  and  beauty.  "The  Grand  Prairie." 
This  was  the  first  prairie  that  we  had  seen  in  its 
natural  state,  and  it  is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that 
in  those  lovely  October  days  the  sight  to  us  was  a 
grand  one  far  beyond  our  expectations.  We  had 
looked  to  find  "a  prairie  where  a  furrow  could  be 
plowed  six  miles  long  without  striking  stump,  tree 
or  stone,"  but  here  we  beheld  a  prairie  where  a 
furrow  one  hundred  miles  long  might  have  been 
plowed  without  the  least  obstruction.  • 

We  had  come  to  a  halt  at  this  spot  late  at  night. 
Early  the  next  morning,  long  before  day  light  my 
father  was  up  and  had  walksd  out  a  mile  or  two. 
After  taking  a  good  view  of  the  country  around  he 
returned  and  informed  us  all,  with  much  de- 
light, that  if  there  were  a  more  beautiful  country 
or  one  more  promising  on  earth  or  in  heaven,  he 
would  like  to  see  it! 

At  this  point  we  laid  in  "provisions  for  man  and 
beast"  for  four  days,  as  it  was  more  than  one  hun- 
dred miles  to  the  next  house. 

Setting  out  again  we  drove  on  about  twenty- 
eight  miles  and  camped  for  the  night  at  a  small 
grove  on  the  head  waters  of  the  "Okaw."  We 
proceeded  forward  the  second  and  third  days  stop- 


36  RECOLLECTIONS. 

ping  only  to  camp.  This  we  were  obliged  to  do 
at  "the  Groves,"  as  in  crossing  the  prairie  these 
were  the  only  places  where  wood  and  water  could 
be  found.  As  we  approached  these  they  looked 
in  the  distance  like  islands  in  an  ocean  of  wavy 
grass,  beautiful  beyond  description. 

On  the  morning  of  the  fourth  day  at  about  10 
o'clock  we  came  to  a  place  where  a  few  poles  had 
been  laid  across  the  road,  and  a  row  of  stakes  ran 
off  angling  to  the  right,  and  on  a  board  fastened 
to  a  stake  were  these  words,  "Twelve  miles  to 
Steven's." 

Not  having  learned  yet  the  language  of  cross 
poles  and  angling  stakes,  instead  of  following  the 
"stakes,"  as  we  should,  we  drove  round  the  poles 
and  followed  the  trail.  This  trail  which  we  kept, 
was  in  fact  the  track  of  a  lost  Dr.  Somebody,  who 
had  been  the  first  to  cross  the  prairie  about  four 
months  before,  and  had  been  lost,  as  had  been  the 
travelers  who  followed  him. 

This  error  led  us  about  twenty-five  miles  out  of 
our  way,  and  was  the  hardest  experience  of  our 
journey  so  far,  nothing  for  ourselves  or  horses  to 
eat,  a  road  through  slashes,  creeks  and  mud.  We 
camped  at  night  not  knowing  where  we  were  nor 
when  we  should  get  through.  However,  we  started 
on  the  next  day  and  reached  Mr.  Steven's  about 
noon,  glad  enough  to  find  food  and  shelter. 

Mr.  Stevens  lived  about  three  miles  west  of  the 
present  site  of  the  city  of  Decatur.  His  nearest 
neighbor  on  the  east  being  Colonel  Austin,  whom 


EECOLLECTIONS.  37 

we  had  left,  and  on  the  west  Colonel  Rogers  who 
lived  twenty-five  miles  distant. 

Here  we  remained  three  days  to  recruit,  and  the 
following  Monday  morning  moved  on,  reaching 
the  Colonel  Rogers  settlement  that  night.  The 
next  morning  we  drove  on,  crossing  the  Sangamon 
leaving  Springfield  several  miles  to  the  south  and 
camped  at  the  head  of  "Clary's  grove,"  and  the 
following  day  crossed  "Richland  creek"  and  kept 
the  road  on  the  south  side  of  the  grove  as  far  as 
Harrison's  at  the  head  of  the  creek.  We  then  set 
out  for  "Job's  settlement"  sixteen  miles  west 
across  the  prairie,  hoping  to  get  there  before  dark. 

In  this,  however,  we  were  disappointed,  as  night 
overtook  us  when  about  half  way  across.  To  add 
to  our  trouble  it  began  to  rain,  so  that  we  could 
not  see  the  road,  and  the  only  way  to  keep  the  trail, 
was  for  W.  H.  Taylor  to  pull  of  his  boots  and  fol- 
low the  path  in  his  "stocking  feet,"  guided  by  the 
sense  of  feeling.  This  was  done,  and  by  about  10 
o'clock  P.  M.  we  came  to  Mr.  Archibald  Job's,  and 
were  comfortably  housed  for  the  night.  This  set- 
tlement consisted  of  four  families,  Thomas  and 
David  Blair,  Arch.  Job  and  Jacob  White. 

The  next  day  a  drive  of  twelve  miles  brought  us 
to  the  cabin  of  Timothy  Harris,  living  at  the  foot 
of  the  Illinois  Bluffs,  and  six  miles  east  of  the  Illi- 
nois river.  Here  was  the  Ultima  Thule  of  settle- 
ment. 

Beyond  this  or  west  of  it,  except  a  deserted  cabin 
at  Downing's  Landing,  (now  Beardstown)  there 
was  not  a  shanty  that  side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains, 


38  RECOLLECTIONS. 

and  north  of  it,  not  a  resident  nearer  than  Hud- 
son's Bay. 

Mr.  Harris'  cabin  was  about  twelve  feet  square, 
and  was  already  occupied  by  himself,  a  Mr.  Brown, 
Ephram  Eggleston,  wife  and  six  children.  But 
stop  there  we  must,  and  stop  we  did.  To  add  to  the 
novelty  and  strangeness  of  this  situation  there 
were  about  three  hundred  Potawatamie  Indians 
camped  along  the  creek  just  above  the  house. 
These  with  about  as  many  dogs  as  there  were  peo- 
ple swarmed  out  to  greet  the  new-comers,  giving 
us  a  noisy  welcome,  and  appearing  as  much  aston- 
ished as  if  we  were  an  embassy  just  arrived  from 
the  moon. 

That  night  the  floor  of  the  little  cabin  was  ac- 
tually covered  with  beds,  and  these  only  accommo- 
dated about  half  of  the  company.  The  other  half 
finding  shelter  in  the  wagons.  To  add  to  the  em- 
barrassment of  the  crowded  situation,  the  second 
day  after  our  arrival  Mr  Nathan  Eels,  wife  and 
seven  children  made  their  appearance  at  the  cabin 
door. 

Two  things  now  demanded  immediate  attention. 
First,  bread —  something  must  be  had  to  eat! 
Secondly,  shelter — a  place  must  be  made  ready  to 
live  in! 

To  meet  the  first  necessity  we  gathered  about 
twenty  bushels  of  corn  and  shelled  it. 

My  mother  took  one  of  our  teams  and  with  my 
brother  Norris  went  back  sixty  miles  to  where 
there  was  a  horse  mill  to  get  it  ground. 

While  mother  was  gone  on  this  expedition  all 


EECOLLECTIONS.  39 

hands  turned  out  to  cut  and  haul  logs  to  build 
cabins  for  the  coming  winter. 

It  happened  that  in  getting  the  corn  ground 
mother  had  succeeded  better  than  father  could 
have  done  had  he  taken  it  to  the  mill.  When  she 
arrived  there  were  enough  there  waiting  who  had 
come  before  her  to  keep  the  miller  busy  for  three 
days.  But  because  she  was  a  woman  and  had 
come  so  far,  the  generous  hearted  Illinoisians 
kindly  waived  their  claim  and  allowed  her  to  have 
her  grist  ground  immediataly.  On  the  fourth  day 
she  returned  safely  with  her  wagon  load  of  meal, 
and  found  a  kind  of  double  log  cabin  well  ad- 
vanced towards  completion.  In  another  day  or 
two  the  cabins  were  ready  for  occupancy. 

Floors,  made  of  basswood  puncheons  hewed; 
doors,  and  roof  made  of  shakes,  called  boards,  four 
feet  long  six  to  eight  inches  wide  and  half  an  inch 
thick,  split  with  a  froe,  from  white,  black  and  burr 
oak. 

The  process  was  to  find  a  tall  straight  grained  oak, 
three  or  four  feet  through,  saw  it  into  blocks  four 
feet  long,  split  it  into  bolts,  and  then  "rive"  it  into 
boards.  An  experienced  man  could  make  boards 
enough  in  a  day  to  cover  a  house,  if  the  timber  was 
good. 

The  house  being  built  we  moved  in,  after  which 
things  were  soon  arranged  so  as  to  be  comfortable 
for  the  winter. 

After  this  my  father  and  Mr.  Eels  took  the  lat- 
ters'  oldest  son  Nathan,  and  myself  and  went  back 
to  Clary's  grove,  forty  or  fifty  miles  to  buy  grain  for 


40  RECOLLECTIONS. 

the  winter  and  coming  summer.  Here  we  found 
a  job  of  gathering  corn  on  the  shares — one  third 
for  harvesting.  We  took  twenty  acres,  which  gave 
us  about  three  hundred  bushels  for  our  share,  as 
the  team  belonged  to  my  father.  Taking  a  wagon 
load  to  mill  we  returned  with  a  supply  of  meal  for 
the  winter.  The  next  thing  was  for  my  father  to 
make  a  trip  across  the  river  to  see  the  land  he  had 
bought.  He  was  much  pleased  with  the  country; 
but  not  quite  so  well  with  his  purchase,  so  far  as 
the  quarter  section  which  he  saw  was  concerned — 
it  being  heavily  timbered  and  hilly. 

Still  he  determined  to  move  over  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. For  this  preparations  must  be  made.  Ac- 
cordingly he  went  back  to  the  older^  settlements 
and  traded  a  wagon,  watch,  etc.  for  a  yoke  of  oxen, 
plough,  chain,  two  cows  and  seven  hogs.  Another 
trip  back  to  the  settlement  secured  enough  of  meal 
and  corn  to  last  until  mid-summer. 

All  things  being  in  readiness,  goods  packed  and 
teams  harnessed,  on  the  22d  of  February,  1823  we 
vacated  the  first  cabin  built  and  which  we  had  oc- 
cupied about  three  months,  drove  six  miles  to 
the  Illinois  river,  and  staid  with  Mr.  Eggleston, 
who  had  lately  moved  into  the  deserted  cabin  at 
Downing' s  Landing.  Here  we  were  feasted  on 
honey,  taken  from  "bee  trees"  found  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. The  next  morning,  the  23d,  we  crossed 
the  river  on  the  ice.  We  proceeded  up  the  river 
three  miles  when  we  crossed  the  bottom,  drove  up 
the  bluff  and  stopped  to  cook  and  eat  our  dinner. 
While  here  we  noticed  bees  flying  around  in 


RECOLLECTIONS.  41 

various  directions.  With  a  little  effort  a  bee  tree 
was  .soon  found,  cut  down,  and  the  honey  secured. 
A  drive  of  ten  miles  then  brought  us  to  the  prairie, 
we  found  a  camp  of  basswood  puncheons,  which 
had  been  made  a  week  before  by  two  young 
men,  Orris  McCartney  and  Samuel  Gooch^tajid  in 
this  we  stopped. 

These  young  men  had  brought  three  hundred 
head  of  hogs  from  the  neighborhood  of  Jackson- 
ville to  fatten  them  on  the  "mast,"  (nuts  and 
acorns)  which  was  abundant. 

In  three  days  we  had  a  log  cabin  ready  to  occu- 
py, and  were  soon  settled  in  it.  This  being  neces- 
sarily hastily  completed,  my  father,  W.  H.  Taylor 
and  S.  Gooch,  who  had  joined  us,  proceeded  to  build 
a  more  substantial  house  for  our  family  about  sixty 
rods  west  of  the  first  house.  This  for  three  years 
was  our  home ;  while  the  first  cabin  built,  after  be- 
ing made  more  comfortable,  was  occupied  by  my 
grandparents  and  their  granddaughter,  Miss  Ruth 
Powers,  who  crossed  the  river  about  two  weeks 
after  us. 

This  location  was  on  the  southwest  quarter  of 
the  southeast  quarter  of  section  sixteen  town  two 
north  of  range  one  west,  of  the  fourth  principal  me- 
ridian, school  land,  open  for  settlement. 

And  we  began  to  feel  that  our  wanderings  of 
eighteen  months  were  ended. 

On  the  second  day  after  our  arrival,  and  while 
still  in  camp  and  the  men  busy  in  building,  we 
were  visited  by  about  one  hundred  Indians,  ( Kick- 
apoos)  who  were  returning  from  their  southern 


42  RECOLLECTIONS. 

winter  hunt,  and  had  camped  just  across  the  prai- 
rie, about  a  mile  south  of  us,  this  being  one  of 
their  favorite  camping  grounds  in  their  semi-an- 
nual migrations  north  and  south.  Their  summer 
village  and  corn  fields  were  at  the  head  of  Hender- 
son river,  seventy  miles  north,  just  where  the  vil- 
lage of  Henderson  has  been  since  built. 

These  Kickapoos  gave  us  their  idea  of  aristo- 
cratic rank  by  saying: — "A  Potawatamie  lives  on 
the  river,  rides  in  a  canoe,  and  eats  muskrats  and 
mud-turtles;  while  a  Kickapoo,  lives  on  the  high 
lands,  rides  on  horse  back,  and  eats  venison." 

The  Indians  were  very  friendly  with  us  from 
the  first.  They  called  my  father  "Postonie,"  or 
Boston  man,  to  distinguish  him  from  the  men  from 
the  south,  whom  they  called,  Chemo-co-mon,  or 
long  knife.  These  people  were  around  us  more  or 
less  every  day  while  they  were  in  camp,  and  many 
of  them  were  present  and  witnessed  our  exit  from 
camp  to  cabin. 

When  we  had  time  to  look  about  us,  we  found 
that  our  new  home  was  located  on  a  beautiful  prai- 
rie, extending  only  about  one  mile  east,  but  run- 
ning off  west  and  northwest  indefinitely.  Fortu- 
nately, too,  we  had  chosen  a  healthy  situation,  with 
no  local  causes  of  sickness  in  the  vicinity.  The 
springs  of  which  we  drank,  ran  north  into  Sugar 
Creek.  One  mile  south,  similar  springs  ran  south 
into  Crane  Creek;  and  two  miles  west,  the  waters 
ran  southwest  into  Crooked  Creek.  Had  my  father 
been  a  western  frontier-man,  he  could  scarcely 
have  found  a  place  in  all  respects  more  desirable. 


RECOLLECTIONS.  43 

Game  was  abundant,  bears,  panthers,  wolves, 
lynxes,  wildcats,  foxes,  raccoons,  'possums,  minks 
and  muskrats  were  plenty  and  were  heard  and 
seen  in  all  directions.  Deer,  turkeys,  prairie  hens 
and  quails  swarmed  in  thousands.  And  what  was 
not  so  pleasant,  the  snake  family  was  fully  and 
numerously  represented.  Those  most  to  be  dread- 
ed, were  yellow  rattle-snakes,  prairie  rattle-snakes, 
copper-heads  and  moccasins — the  last  the  most 
feared  and  venomous  of  all. 

But  our  father  was  no  hunter,  and  he  never 
killed  either  a  deer  or  turkey,  although  they  many 
times  came  very  near  the  house. 

Spring  soon  came,  and  all  who  could  work  were 
busy  in  preparing  to  plant  as  extensively  and  as 
early  as  possible.  As  the  wild  prairie  land  in  that 
latitude  produces  but  little  the  first  year,  we  cleared 
and  planted  fifteen  acres  of  timber  land,  besides, 
breaking  twenty-five  acres  of  prairie.  From  the 
timber  land  we  had  a  yield  of  one  hundred  bushels 
of  corn  to  the  acre,  and  from  the  breaking  a  fair 
crop  of  corn,  pumpkins,  melons  and  turnips. 

Mr.  Eggleston,  whom  we  left  at  Downing's  Land- 
ing, moved  over  with  the  help  of  our  team  about 
the  first  of  April,  and  settled  about  a  mile  west  of 
us.  As  the  river  was  very  high  the  family  came 
up  four  miles  to  the  "upper  landing,"  where  they 
were  met  by  my  father  and  myself.  We  camped 
in  the  bottom  all  night,  and  in  the  morning  the 
horses  were  turned  out  to  eat  the  fresh  grass  which 
was  abundant.  After  eating  breakfast,  I  was  dis- 


44  RECOLLECTIONS. 

patched  to  bring  up  the  horses,  which  had  wan- 
dered off  about  fifty  rods. 

When  I  came  to  where  they  were  feeding,  my 
attention  was  attracted  by  a  steady,  dull,  buzzing 
noise,  which  seemed  to  proceed  from  a  spot  near 
them.  Approaching  with  great  caution  I  discov- 
ered a  huge  rattlesnake  coiled  on  a  large  moss 
covered  log,  giving  notice  to  all  intruders  not  to 
come  too  near.  I  had  yet  to  learn  that  a  snake 
could  not  rise  from  the  ground  in  its  attempt  to 
strike  an  enemy,  but  supposed  they  could  actually 
jump  several  feet.  Hence,  in  order  to  be  safe,  I 
procured  a  dry  pawpaw  pole  about  twenty  feet 
long.  Coming  within  reach  I  struck  him  so  as  to 
break  my  pole,  and  knock  him  from  the  log. 
Venturing  a  little  nearer  I  multiplied  my  blows, 
and  soon  had  the  pleasure  of  fully  bruising  the 
serpent's  head.  This  was  the  first  yellow  rattle- 
snake I  had  seen,  and  he  measured  over  four  feet. 

This  was  the  beginning  of  a  war  of  extermina- 
tion, by  me,  on  this  enemy  of  our  race,  and  which 
eventuated  in  the  lessening  the  numbers  of  the 
rattle-snake  family,  copper-heads  and  vipers  thrown 
in,  by  probably  a  thousand. 

The  third  cabin  built  in  the  settlement  was  by 
Mr.  Eggleston,  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
sixteen. 

The  next  settlers  were  Samuel  and  James  Turner, 
from  St.  Clair  county,  111.  They  came  in  quest  of 
health,  having  lived  in  the  American  bottom  until 
they  two  were  all  who  were  left  of  the  entire 
family,  and  they  had  suffered  with  chills  and 


RECOLLECTIONS.  45 

fevers  until  life  was  almost  a  burden.  And  these 
gentlemen  built  the  fourth  house.  They  never 
occupied  their  house,  as  intended.  They  returned  to 
St.  Clair  county  with  the  expectation  of  coming  back 
in  the  spring  to  stay,  but  in  this  they  were  disap- 
pointed, as  James  sickened  and  died  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1824,  and  Samuel  returned  alone  in  the 
spring  of  1825. 

About  the  last  of  June,  1823,  my  mother  and 
myself  were  taken  violently  ill  with  what  we  then 
called  billious  fever.  Physicians  were  out  of  the 
question;  there  were  none  within  a  hundred  miles. 
My  parents,  however,  had  considerable  skill  them- 
selves as  nurses,  knew  something  of  the  use  of 
ordinary  medical  remedies,  with  several  of  which 
we  were  provided;  and  they  had  in  addition  brave, 
trustful  hearts  and  quite  an  amount  of  good  com- 
mon sense.  My  father's  treatment  of  the  patients 
was  successful,  and  in  about  two  weeks  I  began  to 
recover,  and  mother  shortly  after. 

During  our  sickness,  our  Indian  friends  were 
down  from  their  village  on  their  summer  hunt,  and 
camped  near  our  house,  and  of  course  came  to  visit 
us.  We  had  been  greatly  annoyed  by  the  injury 
of  our  garden  by  deer,  whose  depredations  were 
committed  in  the  night.  Knowing  the  skill  of  the 
Indians  in  detecting  trails,  my  father  took  two  of 
our  Indian  visitors  into  the  garden,  and  pointed 
out  to  them  the  damage  done.  The  two  men  walked 
through  the  garden  looking  carefully  at  the  tracks, 
consulted  together  a  moment,  and  then  said:  "There 
are  two;  one  has  gone  north,  the  other  east,"  point- 


46  RECOLLECTIONS. 

ing  in  the  different  directions.  Mounting  their 
ponies  they  rode  away  in  the  directions  indicated, 
and  in  less  than  an  hour  each  had  returned  with  a 
deer.  This  ended  the  poaching  on  the  garden. 

The  day  following,  the  head  of  the  clan,  a  sub- 
chief  called  Be-kik-a-nin-ee,  came  bringing  a  deer 
just  killed.  After  selling  us  one  quarter,  he  care- 
fully took  out  the  tenderloin,  and  presented  it  to 
my  father,  saying:  "It  for  sick  squaw."  He 
directed  that  it  should  be  well  boiled,  and  some  of 
the  soup  made  from  it  given  to  my  mother,  remark- 
ing in  a  plaintive  way:  "May-be  she  get  well." 
This  Indian  had  been  in  the  British  army,  and  had 
been  wounded  in  the  battle  of  the  river  Raisin. 
This  accounted  for  his  being  able  to  speak  English. 

I  may  say  here  that  the  following  fall  while  my 
father  was  in  the  woods,  bee  hunting,  and  about 
three  miles  from  home,  he  met  our  old  friend  Be- 
kik-a-nin-ee  on  horseback,  hunting  deer.  As  soon 
as  they  came  in  sight  of  each  other,  the  Indian 
wheeled  his  pony  and  came  dashing  up  rapidly, 
jumped  off  and  saluted  him,  by  extending  both 
hands  and  exclaiming:  "How-te-too!  How-te-too! 
How-te-too!"  He  then  asked:  "Keene-squaw- 
Nepoo?"  (Did  your  wife  die?) 

"No,"  replied  my  father;  "she  is  nearly  well." 

"Yeep!  Yeep!  Yeep!"  he  shouted,  "Me  go  see 
her."  And  mounting  his  pony  he  laid  whip  for 
our  house,  which  he  reached  on  a  quick  run. 
When  he  saw  my  mother  up  and  busy  around  the 
house,  this  manly  fellow  appeared  as  much  pleased 
as  if  he  were  conscious  of  some  relationship  be- 
tween them. 


EECOLLECTIONS.  47 


CHAPTER  IV. 

n"7HE  fall  of  1823,  following  my  mother's  recov- 
ery, was  one  of  special  religious  anxiety  with 
her.  It  had  been  her  earnest  prayer,  ever  since 
leaving  Vermont,  that  the  Lord  would  enable 
the  family  in  that  new  country  to  maintain  a  true, 
religious  life.  Now  she  began  to  plead  still  more 
earnestly,  that  there  might  also  be  public  worship 
in  the  settlement,  and  an  acknowledgment  of  God 
in  the  neighborhood.  To  this  end  she  saw  that  a 
preacher  must  be  sent,  and  a  preaching  place  estab- 
lished, and  for  this  she  prayed. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  of  a  day  in  the  early  No- 
vember, while  busy  as  she  was  wont  to  be,  in  her 
household  care,  a  stranger  knocked  at  the  door. 
Before  my  mother  there  stood  a  tall,  straight, 
gaunt  man.  He  was  clad  in  well  worn  Kentucky 
jeans,  deer  skin  moccasins,  coon  skin  cap  and  a 
rifle  in  his  hand. 

A  few  moments'  conversation  gave  to  my  mother 
the  information  that  he  was  a  Methodist  local 
preacher,  that  his  name  was  Levin  Green,  that  he 
and  his  family,  with  his  brother-in-law,  George 
Stewart  and  family,  were  camped  on  Dutchman's 
creek,  sixteen  miles  above  on  the  Illinois  river, 
that  he  was  looking  for  a  settlement,  and  that  he 


48  BECOLLECTIONS. 

and  Mr.  Stewart  would  proceed  at  once  to  put  up 
a  house  for  winter. 

Judge  of  my  mother's  delight  and  surprise  at 
this  direct  answer  to  her  prayers.  Here  wras  the 
preacher — and  she  quickly  had  it  all  arranged,  and 
an  appointment  for  preaching  in  my  father's  log 
cabin  was  given  out  for  the  next  Sunday.  In  her 
eighty-ninth  year  my  dear  mother  would  joyfully 
tell  of  this  circumstance — of  God's  goodness  and 
faithfulness,  as  the  hearer  and  answerer  of  prayer — 
and  of  her  anxiety  then,  that  her  boys  should  not 
grow  up  without  the  public  means  of  grace ;  and  of 
Levin  Green's  preaching  and  the  good  influence 
resulting  therefrom. 

The  arrangements  for  settling  his  family  were 
soon  made.  They  had  traveled  by  canoe  from  be- 
low St.  Louis,  and  with  the  assistance  of  my 
father's  team  and  our  united  help,  they  were 
brought  safely  from  our  landing,  (Fredericks- 
burgh).  The  two  families  were  accommodated  for 
the  winter,  in  the  house  built  by  the  Turners. 

On  that  first  Sabbath  in  November,  1823,  the 
Avhole  settlement  of  thirty  souls  turned  out,  and  we 
had  a  warm,  earnest,  pointed  sermon.  This  was 
the  first  sermon  preached  west  of  the  Illinois  river. 
I  well  remember,  that  my  heart  was  much  moved 
under  that  sermon  and  that  when,  after  it,  he  be- 
gan to  sing:  "There  is  a  fountain  filled  with  blood," 
and  to  pass  around  shaking  hands  with  all  in  the 
house,  I  ran  out  of  doors  fearing  that  my  emotions 
would  overcome  me,  should  I  remain. 

Another  appointment  was  made  for  preaching 


RECOLLECTIONS.  49 

in  two  weeks,  and  thereafter  was  regularly  con- 
tinued. 

Levin  Green  belonged  to  that  remarkable  class 
of  men,  so  well  known  on  the  frontier  line  of  ad- 
vancing civilization,  previous  to  the  advent  of 
steam,  as  pioneers.  Born  where  the  howl  of  the 
wolf  and  the  war-whoop  of  the  savage  were  well- 
known  sounds ;  accustomed  to  supplying  the  larder 
from  the  chase,  and  to  eating  bread  made  of  meal 
manufactured  by  the  "hominy  mortar"  or  hand 
mill;  men,  whose  perceptive  faculties  were  keenly 
developed,  by  the  new  and  strange  surroundings 
of  their  exposed  lives,  and  whose  resources,  men- 
tal and  physical,  were  by  the  very  exigencies 
pressing  upon  them,  nearly  always  equal  to  the 
demand. 

Our  preacher,  Levin  Green,  sprang  from  an  an- 
cestry which  had  been  on  the  frontier  from  the  set- 
tling of  Maryland  and  Virginia.  He  had  stopped 
for  a  time  in  Kentucky;  then  on  to  southern  Illinois; 
and  thence  to  Missouri,  leaving  that  state  on  its 
becoming  slave  territory;  he  now  sought  a  home  on 
the  frontier  of  western  Illinois. 

He  could  barely  read  intelligently,  having  had 
no  literary  or  scholastic  opportunities,  but  his 
natural  ability,  to  memorize  and  to  use  what  little 
he  had  acquired,  was  above  the  average.  It  made 
but  little  difference  to  him  that  the  "King's  Eng- 
lish" was  murdered,  in  almost  every  sentence,  he 
did  not  know  it;  and  but  few  of  his  hearers  were 
any  wiser  than  he. 

To  him,  God,  eternity,  death,  the  resurrection, 


50  RECOLLECTIONS. 

the  judgment,  Heaven  and  hell,  were  vivid  and 
solemn  realities.  In  many  of  his  discourses,  he 
spoke  as  if  these  were  actually  present,  being 
seen  and  felt  by  him. 


RECOLLECTIONS.  51 


CHAPTEE  V. 

PEE  hunting,  by  which  the  settlers  obtained 
marketable  honey  and  bees-wax  which  when 
taken  to  St.  Louis  could  be  traded  for  tea,  sugar 
and  other  necessaries,  was  largely  pursued,  and  it 
was  the  only  way  of  obtaining  supplies. 

Money  was  not  to  be  had.  There  was  none,  ab- 
solutely no  lie,  in  the  country. 

Mr.  Eggleston  and  my  father  went  into  partner- 
ship in  this  business,  while  another  firm  was 
formed  by  the  three  unmarried  men,  McCartney, 
Gooch  and  Beard,  the  latter  afterwards  became  the 
proprietor  of  Beardstown.  This  firm  sent,  that 
fall,  twenty-seven  barrels  of  honey  and  several 
thousand  pounds  of  bees-wax  to  market. 

Bees  were  then  so  abundant  that  it  was  no  un- 
usual thing  to  find  ten  swarms  in  a  day,  and  six- 
teen had  been  found.  The  yield  of  honey  varied 
from  one  quart  to  thirty-six  gallons  per  tree. 

In  the  spring  of  1824  our  settlement  was  still 
further  and  very  pleasantly  increased  by  the  mov- 
ing over  of  Mr.  Nathan  Eels  and  family. 

This,  my  brothers,  my  sister  and  myself,  con- 
sidered a  most  fortunate  addition,  as  Mr.  Eels'  fam- 
ily included  six  boys  and  two  girls.  We  now  num- 
bered with  those  already  named  as  settlers,  and 


52  RECOLLECTIONS. 

Mr.  Thomas  McKee  and  Willis  O'Neal,  the  two 
last  were  about  six  miles  south  of  us,  all  told,  ten 
families  in  the  Hobart  settlement. 

On  their  annual  winter  hunt,  the  Indians,  who 
occupied  their  camping  ground  one  mile  south  of 
us,  were  frequent  visitors.  One  day  our  old  friend 
Be-kik-a-nin-ee  called  and  stated,  that  the  next  day 
he  intended  to  bring  over  his  two  wives  on  a  visit 
to  my  mother.  And  the  following  day  they  came 
in  good  season,  arrayed  in  their  very  best  style — - 
paints,  brooches,  broadcloth  and  calico.  As  Be- 
kik-a-nin-ee  talked  some  English  and  we  had 
learned  a  little  Indian,  we  could  and  did  keep 
up  quite  a  conversation. 

In  the  course  of  the  visit  mother  inquired  of  the 
chief,  which  of  his  wives  he  loved  the  best. 

This  was  a  poser,  and  brought  a  very  serious  ex- 
pression to  his  face.  The  squaws  meanwhile  look- 
ing on  and  listening  with  evident  interest. 

The  husband  of  these  two  wives,  however,  proved 
himself  equal  to  the  occasion. 

He  looked  at  them  fixedly  a  moment,  then  turn- 
ing to  my  mother  said  with  a  solemnity  of  manner 
that  was  quite  impressive:  "They  are  both  good, 
very  good;  they  chop  wood,  dress  the  skins,  cook 
the  meat  and  build  the  wigwam;  that  one,  (the 
oldest)  very  good  to  take  care  of  pappoose;  that 
one,  pointing  to  the  other,  very  good,  too ;  she  work, 
but  she  tee-hee-hee  too  much." 

Before  leaving  for  the  hunt,  Be-kik-a-nin-ee 
brought  some  sacks  of  dried  corn  and  beans,  and 
asked  to  leave  them  in  our  loft  or  attic,  until  his 


RECOLLECTIONS.  53 

return  in  the  spring.  Permission  was  readily 
granted  and  they  were  carried  up  the  ladder  and 
carefully  stored  away. 

On  the  return  of  the  band  in  the  spring,  we  were 
first  made  aware  of  their  arrival  by  seeing  their 
horses  turned  out  on  the  prairie.  The  day  following 
Be-kik-a-nin-ee,  with  others  came  to  our  house  to 
inquire  about  the  sacks  which  he  had  left.  Father 
told  him  they  were  all  right,  and  sent  me  up  to 
hand  them  down.  The  Indian  received  them  with 
evident  satisfaction;  took  them  out  into  the  lane 
and  placing  them  down  in  a  pile,  while  the  other 
Indians  formed  a  circle  around  them,  he  made  the 
following  speech: 

"There,"  said  he,  "you  said  last  fall,  when  I  left 
these  sacks  of  corn  and  beans  here,  that  I  would 
never  see  them  again;  that  'Postonie's'  pappooses 
would  eat  them  all  up.  I  told  you  that  they  would 
not.  Now  you  see  they  have  not  touched  them. 
You  have  eaten  your  corn  and  beans  all  up,  and 
you  have  none;  I  left  mine  here  and  now  I  have 
plenty." 

"Yeep!  Yeep!  Yeep!"  said  he  as  he  swung  his 
arm  over  his  head  and  uttered  his  exclamations  of 
triumph. 

The  result  of  this  was  that  the  next  fall,  our  loft 
was  packed  with  more  than  fifty  sacks:  the  corn 
and  beans  of  most  of  the  band.  This  practice  of. 
voluntary  storage,  and  trust  in  my  father's  honor, 
was  continued  until  the  tribe  removed  to  the 
Indian  Territory. 

In  the  fall  of  1823  a  school  was  opened  in  the 


54  RECOLLECTIONS. 

settlement,  and  W.  H  Taylor  employed  as  teacher. 
This  was  the  first  school  west  of  the  Illinois  river, 
We  had  about  this  time  among  us  a  young  man, 
Isaac  M.  House,  a  famous  turkey  hunter.  He 
boarded  with  us  and  at  my  mother's  suggestion  he 
would,  on  almost  any  day,  after  an  absence  of  an 
hour,  bring  in  two  or  three  fine  turkeys.  So  that, 
during  his  stay  with  us,  we  fared  sumptuously. 

Accessions  to  the  settlement  were  now  becoming 
numerous. 

David  E.  and  Thomas  Blair,  Jacob  White,  Wil- 
liam, Jeol  and  Riggs  Pennington,  John  Reeves, 
Samuel  and  Manlove  Horney,  J.  D.  Manlove  and 
others  came.  These  attracted  their  relatives 
and  friends,  and  soon  arrivals  were  no  longer  a 
novelty. 

A  ferry  was  established  at  Downing' s  landing, 
by  Thomas  Beard  &  Co.,  and  the  name  was 
changed  to  Beardstown. 

In  the  meantime  Cupid  had  been  busy  at  his  old 
trade  in  the  hearts  of  Mr.  Samuel  Gooch  and  my 
cousin  Miss  Ruth  Powers,  and  in  due  time,  our 
first  wedding,  in  what  is  now  Schuyler  Co.,  was 
solemnized  by  Rev.  Levin  Green. 

About  the  same  time  a  new  wonder  arrived.  In 
the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ephraim  Eggle- 
ston,  a  baby  was  born,  and  this  little  girl  was  the 
first  white  child  born  in  Schuyler  county. 

In  the  spring  of  1824,  my  father  organized  and 
superintended  the  first  Sunday  school  in  the  coun- 
ty. It  numbered  about  fifteen  members,  and  had 
a  salutary  influence  in  the  community. 


RECOLLECTIONS.  55 

It  has  been  stated  by  another  chronicler  of  these 
early  days,  that  the  first  Sunday  school  in  Schuy- 
ler,  was  organized  by  David  Manlove;  this  is  a 
mistake,  as  at  this  time  D.  Manlove  had  not  yet 
come  into  that  part  of  the  country.  So  that  when- 
ever credit  appertains  to  the  organization  of  the 
first  Sunday  school  in  Schuyler  Co.,  belongs  to 
Calvin  Hobart,  my  honored  father. 


56  KECOLLECTIONS. 


CHAPTEK  VI. 

T  the  time  of  which  I  am  now  about  to  speak, 
I  was  in  my  thirteenth  year.  From  our  first 
coming  west,  I  had  been  conscious  of  what  I  can- 
not better  describe  than  by  calling  it  a  hunger  for 
knowledge.  This  wide  world,  that  was  lying  all 
about  me;  its  great  rivers  and  mountains,  its  mil- 
lions of  people,  its  kings  and  countries.  What 
were  they?  Who  were  they?  How  did  they 
acquire  power?  What  was  the  history  of  all  these 
things  ? 

These  and  a  thousand  other  questions  clamoring 
for  an  answer  within  me,  led  me  to  devour  our  own 
limited  assortment  of  books  and  to  long  for  more. 

It  had  been  my  practice,  to  call  upon  each  family 
so  soon  as  they  moved  into  the  neighborhood,  and 
to  borrow  all  the  books  they  posessed,  which  I  had 
not  already  read.  This  I  continued  to  do  until 
1826,  when  up  to  that  time,  I  believe,  I  had  read 
every  book  which  had  been  brought  into  the  coun- 

ty-  ' 

This  primitive  "circulating  library"  although 
it  had  many  dificiencies,  was  in  many  respects  of 
great  advantage  to  me.  It  however  led  me  off,  in- 
to too  great  an  extreme  in  some  directions,  while, 
in  others,  it  left  me  in  ignorance  of  many  things 


RECOLLECTIONS.  57 

which  I  needed  to  know.  On  the  whole,  it  largely 
increased  my  world  of  thought,  and  improved  my 
stock  of  knowledge. 

Pilgrim's  Progress,  I  read  in  my  tenth  year  as  a 
veritable  history,  and  thought,  when  Christian  and 
Faithful  had  been  imprisoned  by  Giant  Despair, 
and  almost  murdered — and,  then  after,  when  Chris- 
tian said,  "I  have  a  key  in  my  bosom,  which  will  un- 
lock any  door:" — "What  a  simpleton!  It  would  be 
no  great  matter  if  you  were  killed,  when  you 
knew  you  had  a  key  to  let  you  out  and  didn't  use  it!" 

Weem's  Marion,  I  almost  knew  by  heart,  so  also 
his  life  of  Washington,  Goldsmith's  histories  of 
Greece,  Rome  and  England  were  devoured.  A  fine 
work  on  Heathen  mythology,  was  much  enjoyed. 
Guthrie's  Geography  of  fifteen  hundred  pages,  only 
stimulated  my  appetite  for  more  of  the  same  de- 
finite information,  and  which  was  gratified  soon 
after,  by  the  perusal  of  a  still  larger  work  combin- 
ing Geography  and  History,  borrowed  from  Squire 
Davis. 

The  last  named  work  gave  me  the  best  idea  of  the 
political  changes  in  Europe,  from  the  fifth  to  the  fif- 
teenth century,  that  I  think  I  have  ever  had.  Lo- 
renzo Dow's  Cosmopolite,  bound  with  Peggy  Dow's 
vicissitudes,  gave  me  much  pleasure.  The  burning 
zeal  of  Dow,  and  the  fervent  piety  of  Peggy,  made 
impressions  upon  my  heart  and  life  that  have  not 
and  never  will  be  erased.  Many  times,  while 
reading,  I  was  blinded  by  the  tears  which  I  could 
not  keep  from  flowing.  An  increasing  earnest- 
ness in  prayer  and  desire  to  have  my  life  right  in 


58  -  RECOLLECTIONS. 

the  sight  of  the  Lord,  were  the  beneficial  results 
produced. 

During  the  summers,  thunder  storms  were  fre- 
quent, and  of  great  severity.  Though  I  did  not  like 
to  acknowledge  it,  I  had  a  great  dread  of  them.  So 
to  protect  myself,  I  had  a  habit  on  these  occasions 
of  taking  my  Bible,  and  sitting  down  as  closely  as 
possible  by  my  dear  mother's  side  and  reading 
until  the  storm  was  over;  thinking  that  if  killed 
with  lightning  while  reading  God's  Word,  it 
would  be  bettter  with  me  than  otherwise,  and  also 
that  God  would,  if  I  were  so  employed,  be  less 
likely  to  permit  the  lightning  to  injure  me. 

In  my  thirteenth  and  fourteenth  years  my  reli- 
gious convictions,  were  deep,  and  my  heart  tender. 
Thoughts  of  eternity,  Heaven  and  hell,  so  im- 
pressed me  that  I  could  find  relief  only  in  secret 
prayer,  then  the  burden  would  for  a  time  be  lifted ; 
many  a  night,  during  these  years,  I  have  lain 
awake  weeping  and  praying  until  my  pillow  was 
wet  with  my  tears. 

And  yet  through  all  this,  such  was  my  pride,  or 
sensitiveness,  bashfulness  or  cowardice,  or  all 
combined,  that  I  would  not  permit  any  one  to 
speak  to  me  on  the  subject  of  personal  religion, 
without  in  some  way  antagonizing  it.  Nor  did 
I  let  any  one  know  during  those  years  what  my 
real  feelings  were. 

This  condition,  which  was  known  only  to  my- 
self, and  which,  it  ought  to  have  been  overcome, 
either  by  admonition,  or  consciousness  of  duty, 
was  an  occason  of  loss,  and  deprived  me  of  the 


RECOLLECTIONS.  59 

great  privilege  of  serving  God  in  my  boyhood, 
with  an  assurance  then  that  I  was  His  child  re- 
deemed by  the  blood  of  the  Son  of  God. 

I  feel  on  reviewing  the  past,  as  if  I  had  by  a 
strange  willfulness,  or  obstinacy  or  bashfulness, 
cheated  myself  of,  at  least  five  years  of  earnest  re- 
ligious life. 

To  meet  the  growing  necessities  of  our  growing 
settlement,  father  had  built  a  band  mill,  a  primi- 
tive affair,  driven  by  horse  power,  which  would 
grind  two  or  three  bushels  of  corn  an  hour. 

This  was  of  much  benefit  to  the  neighborhood, 
though  it  proved  of  but  little  pecuniary  advantage 
to  its  owner.  Before  its  construction,  we  had  been 
dependent  on  hominy  mortars,  tin  graters  or  hand 
mills,  for  our  bread.  This  was  the  first  mill  in  the 
county,  and  my  father  the  first  millwright. 

His  next  enterprise  was  in  company  with  two 
other  men,  to  get  out  a  raft  of  logs.  These  were 
cut  along  the  Illinois  river.  Upon  the  raft  were 
placed  several  thousand  staves— intended  for  the 
St.  Louis  market.  In  April  they  were  taken  down 
and  sold,  which  sale  procured  a  supply  of  goods 
and  groceries  for  the  season. 

During  these  years,  had  the  opportunity  been 
afforded,  my  brother  Norris  and  myself  would 
have  become  expert  hunters,  the  game  was  so  very 
abundant.  As  it  was,  we  took  the  barrel  out  of  an 
old  musket  stock — (Queen's  Arms')  and  tied  in,  an 
old  rifle  barrel,  brought  up  by  the  Turners — 
improvised  a  pair  of  bullet  molds,  and  with  this 


60  RECOLLECTIONS. 

unsightly  affair,  furnished  a  plentiful  supply  of 
prairie  chickens. 

In  the  spring  of  1824  we  enlarged  the  farm  by 
breaking  about  thirty  acres  and  putting  the  whole, 
into  corn  and  oats. 

The  crops  were  good  and  food  abundant,  but 
there  was  no  cash  value  for  anything.  Corn  was, 
in  trade,  valued  at  five  cents  a  bushel,  oats  so 
plenty  that  there  was  nobody  to  buy.  Good  cows 
with  calves,  eight  dollars  in  trade,  and  every  thing 
else  cheap  in  proportion. 

We  procured  our  amunition  by  hunting  racoons 
and  foxes,  and  selling  their  skins  at  St.  Louis. 
This  for  my  brother  and  myself  was  fine  sport, 
and  at  it  we  became  quite  successful. 

Father,  during  the  winter  and  spring,  was  mostly 
occupied,  either  by  working  at  his  trade  in  Beards- 
town,  rafting,  hunting  bees,  or  disposing  of  the  re- 
sults of  his  labor  at  St.  Louis;  while  the  enlarging 
of  the  farm,  plowing,  hoeing,  etc.,  was  done  by  my 
twin  brother  and  myself,  under  the  supervision  of 
our  mother. 

Before  the  sickly  season  came,  my  father  re- 
turned home,  as  it  had  been  ascertained  that  but 
few  could  remain  on  the  river  during  June  and 
July  without  running  the  risk  of  being  taken  down 
with  some  form  of  bilious  disease,  usually  chills, 
shaking  ague  or  bilious  fever. 

Father's  return  home,  was  joyfully  hailed  by  us 
all,  but  by  no  one,  I  fancied,  more  than  by  myself. 

There  had  been  from  my  earliest  recollection  a 
feeling  of  companionship  between  my  dear  father 


EECOLLEGTIONS.  61 

and  myself  which  was  to  me  a  source  of  great  de- 
light. From  the  fact  that  I  had  always  been 
larger  and  stouter  than  my  twin  brother,  I  had 
been  usually  the  one  selected  to  go  with  him  when 
help  was  needed ;  and  so  had  come  to  be  depended 
on,  in  our  early  boyhood,  when  the  work  required  of 
us  was  expected  to  be  done. 

In  my  father's  absence,  I  was  "the  miller"  at  the 
band  mill,  so  his  coming  home  during  the  winter 
released  me  from  this  duty,  and  was  improved  by 
Norris  and  myself  in  trapping  quails  and  rabbits, 
and  in  preparing  flax  for  spinning.  Another  oc- 
cupation, at  that  time,  was  in  assisting  mother  in 
her  part  of  the  labor  of  preparing  material  for  the 
clothing  of  the  family. 

This  consisted  in  preparing  the  flax,  carding  the 
tow,  helping  to  put  in  the  web,  and  an  occasional 
hour  at  the  spinning  wheel,  at  which,  I  must  con- 
fess I  was,  in  my  own  estimation,  an  awkward 
hand.  But  we  were  brought  up  to  be  industriously 
occupied,  and  to  contribute,  so  far  as  we  were  able, 
to  the  welfare  and  comfort  of  the  family.  Even 
our  recreations,  and  of  these  we  had  an  abund- 
ance, and  all  that  our  childhood  and  growing  years 
demanded,  were  to  be  made  conducive  to  our  own 
and  others'  advantage. 

We  knew  almost  nothing  of  fun  and  nonsense, 
which  means  too  often  a  getting  rid  of  time,  be- 
cause we  were  little  folks.  And  to  habits  of  in- 
dustry, acquired  in  youth,  and  to  some  proper  val- 
uation of  the  importance  of  time,  I  am  indebted 
for  whatever  I  have  been  able  to  accomplish  in 


62  BECOLLECTIONS. 

after  years,  that  has  been  of  service  to  others,  and 
satisfaction  to  myself.  The  associations  of  these 
days  of  boyhood  and  early  youth  were  in  some 
sense  peculiar.  Around  us  mingled  two  tides,  or 
essentially  different  types  of  life.  The  New  Eng- 
land, or  Puritan,  called  Yankee,  and  the  Southern. 
The  latter,  especially,  were  of  that  class,  who,  from 
their  abhorrence  of  slavery,  sought  a  home  free 
from  its  influences. 

The  Yankee,  with  his  characteristics  of  thrift, 
shrewdness  and  enterprise,  regarded  the  person  of 
another  as  sacred.  His  differences,  if  settled  at 
all,  must  be  settled  by  law.  He  could  talk,  scold, 
or  even  quarrel,  but  never  did  he  think  of  defend- 
ing his  rights  vi  et  armis. 

The  Southern,  with  his  generosity  and  hospi- 
tality, thought  nothing  sacred  except  his  reputa- 
tion and  his  word.  He  never  questioned  a  man's 
veracity,  unless  he  intended  to  fight  him  the  next 
moment;  nor  did  he  allow  his  own  word  to  be  dis- 
puted by  any  one,  without  like  Roderick  Dim,  set- 
ling  that  matter  on  the  spot. 

Growing  out  of  these  differing  peculiarities,  the 
settlers  in  our  community  were  formed,  ere  long, 
into  two  social  circles;  the  one  composed  of 
Yankees  of  strictly  moral  and  religious  habits ;  the 
other  given  to  various  excesses,  among  which  were 
drinking,  gambling,  dancing,  &c.  Hence  our 
associates  were  selected  from  the  families  of  the 
religious,  and  were,  in  the  main,  free  from  vicious 
habits.  To  this,  which  must  be  attributed  to  the 
sterling  integrity  of  our  parents,  I  owe  it,  that  I 


RECOLLECTIONS.  63 

was  preserved  from  the  vices,  which  ruin  so  many 
young  lives,  and  lead  so  rapidly  to  their  destruc- 
tion. 

Now,  in  my  seventy-fourth  year,  I  take  pleasure 
in  recording  that,  through  the  grace  of  God  and 
the  avoidance  of  contaminating  influences  in  youth 
and  early  manhood,  I  have  the  pleasure  of  looking 
back  on  a  life  of  social  purity — not  stained  or 
marred  by  dancing,  swearing,  drinking  or  gam- 
bling. From  all  these  evil  practices,  which 
swarmed  around  our  young  settlement,  my  life 
has  been  free. 

To  me,  as  I  regard  it,  this  experience  is  full  of 
encouragement  to  parents  and  guardians,  who  in 
humble  dependence  upon  God  and  the  promises  of 
His  holy  word,  are  adding  to  their  example,  their 
own  earnest  faithful  efforts  to  train  their  children 
in  the  fear  of  the  Lord.  As  is  the  sowing,  so  is 
the  reaping,  and  this  is  eminently  applicable  to 
parents  who  permit  their  children  to  form  vicious 
habits,  or  who  allow  them  to  mingle  with  improper 
associates  in  their  youth.  Children  taught  obedi- 
ence to  parental  law,  are  prepared  to  render  obedi- 
ence to  the  laws  of  God  and  man,  and  they  only 
are  likely  to  have  a  prosperous  and  useful  life. 

In  the  fall  of  1825,  my  father  sold  the  farm  on 
which  we  had  lived  two  years,  and  from  which  we 
had  gathered  three  harvests,  and  then  estimated  to 
be  the  best  farm  in  the  county.  At  the  same  time 
he  purchased  the  southeast  quarter  of  seventeen, 
and  immediately  adjoining  it  on  the  east,  the  im- 


64  EECOLLECTIONS. 

provements  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  sixteen, 
first  settled  by  Mr.  Eggleston. 

We  now  began  to  enlarge  the  farm  on  sixteen 
and  also  to  open  and  build  on  seventeen.  Pushing 
matters  as  rapidly  as  possible,  in  the  spring  of 
1826,  we  moved  on  to  section  seventeen.  At  the 
same  time  we  arranged  for  my  grandparents,  who 
had  for  some  time,  indeed,  since  the  marriage  of 
their  granddaughter,  Ruth  Powers,  to  Mr.  Gooch, 
lived  with  them,  hereafter  to  make  their  home 
with  us. 

We  also  commenced  to  build  a  horse  mill,  to  be 
run  by  a  forty-four  foot  wheel.  To  do  this  it  was 
necessary  to  manufacture  the  mill-stones  from 
boulders  in  the  neighborhood.  This  was  done  dur- 
ing the  winter,  and  the  only  "smith's"  shop  where 
tools  could  be  repaired  was  six  miles  south  of  us. 
It  was  therefore  necessary  that  my  brother  and 
myself  should  travel  this  distance  every  other  day, 
to  keep  the  tools  in  repair.  This  we  did  on  foot, 
not  a  house  on  the  way.  On  these  trips,  which 
were  mostly  through  the  forest,  it  was  no  uncom- 
mon thing  to  see  hundreds  of  turkeys,  and  scores 
of  deer,  while  wolves,  foxes  and  smaller  game 
abounded.  A  fall  of  snow  would  often  reveal  the 
fact  that  all  our  former  calculations  of  their  plen- 
tifulness  was  an  under-estimate. 

The  following  spring,  immigration  increased 
largely,  and  new  settlers  arrived  in  swarms. 

In  August  Rev.  Wm.  See,  then  stationed  on  the 
Peoria  circuit,  which  extended  a  hundred  miles 
along  the  east  side  of  the  Illinois  river,  came  on 


EECOLLECTIONS.  65 

an   exploring  expedition  across  to  the  west  side, 
down  by  way  of  Lewiston  to  my  father's  house.  • 
In  some  way,  notice  had  been  received  of  his  com- 
ing, and  a  two  days'  meeting  had  been  appointed. 

Quite  a  number  of  Methodist  people  were  now 
in  the  settlement,  and  a  church  was  on  this  occa- 
sion organized  of  over  twenty  members.  All 
joined  by  letter  except  W.  H.  Taylor,  who  united 
on  probation,  and  was  converted  a  few  days  after- 
wards. This  was  the  first  conversion  in  the  coun- 
ty, and  I  think  the  first  west  of  the  Illinois  river. 

In  the  spring  of  1827,  my  father  moved  his  build- 
ings from  his  first  location  on  section  seventeen  to 
the  west  side  where  there  was  a  fine  spring  of 
water,  and  more  desirable  surroundings.  The 
house  which  he  then  built,  and  which  he  occupied 
while  he  lived,  was  built  of  logs.  It  was  forty-five 
feet  long,  and  contained  three  apartments.  The 
east  room  was  occupied  by  my  grandparents,  and 
the  middle  one  was  our  parlor  and  guest  chamber. 

The  mill,  on  which  we  had  been  working,  was 
started  in  the  spring  and  was  of  great  value  to  the 
adjoining  country,  as  an  inducement  to  hundreds 
to  settle.  It  was  also  a  financial  success.  Peo- 
ple living  at  a  distance  of  forty  and  sixty  miles 
came  with  corn  and  wheat  to  be  ground;  for  to 
its  other  conveniences  was  added  a  "bolt,"  turned 
by  hand,  as  wheat  was  now  raised  in  abundance. 

Our  house,  which  had  been  the  preaching  place 
from  the  time  of  the  first  sermon  by  Levin  Green, 
was  now  the  regular  place  for  preaching  by  the 
circuit  preachers,  who  came  once  in  three  weeks; 


66  RECOLLECTIONS. 

the  intervening  Sabbath's  service  being  held  in  the 
same  place  by  Levin  Green  and  others. 

One  beautiful  Sunday  in  August,  after  a  search- 
ing sermon  by  Levin  Green,  when  the  congrega- 
tion had  all  dispersed,  a  young  man  named  Joseph 
Reno,  remained  seated  in  the  back  part  of  the 
room.  My  mother  observing  him,  with  his  face 
buried  in  his  hands,  spoke  to  him,  when  with 
trembling  voice  and  flowing  tears  he  said:  "Aunt 
Sally,  I  want  you  and  Uncle  Calvin  to  pray  for 
me."  These  were  the  names  by  which  my  parents 
were  known  througout  that  part  of  the  country. 
Young  Reno's  request  was  immediately  complied 
with.  Earnest  prayer  commenced,  not  only  for  his 
conversion,  but  for  a  general  reformation  in  the 
neighborhood.  This  was  the  beginning  of  one  of 
the  most  sweeping  revivals  I  have  known.  It  con- 
tinued for  over  two  years;  spread  through  all  the 
settlement,  and  hundreds  were  converted. 

During  the  meetings  of  those  two  years,  the  cries 
of  seekers,  the  prayers  of  Christians,  and  the  songs 
and  exultant  shouts  of  the  converted  might  have 
been  heard  at  a  great  distance.  Nearly  all  who 
were  converted,  united  with  the  church  and  were 
steadfast,  proving  the  genuineness  of  their  con- 
version by  upright  lives,  or  glorious  and  triumph- 
ant deaths. 

During  these  stirring  times,  my  own  religious 
life  was  to  me  then,  and  is  to  me  still,  an  unsolved 
enigma.  My  heart  was  in  the  work — I  was  pleased 
to  see  it  prosper.  I  was  in  the  habit  of  attending 
all  the  meetings,  and  when  I  saw  a  "sinner"  begin 


BECOLLEOTIONS.  67 

to  tremble,  and  endeavor  to  hide  his  tears,  I  woiild 
quietly  slip  around  to  some  of  the  "brethren"  and 
ask  them  to  go  and  talk  to  such  and  such  a  one. 
Then  I  would  watch  while  these  were  being  led  to 
the  mourner's  bench,  observing  them  with  the 
keenest  interest,  and  finally  when  they  had  strug- 
gled through  and  were  converted,  I  was  almost  as 
ready  to  shout  as  the  converts  themselves.  And 
yet  I  did  not  yield,  nor  confess  to  any  one  that  I 
wanted  to  be  a  Christian,  though  keeping  up  all  the 
time  in  secret  a  form  of  prayer. 

My  brother  Norris  became  an  earnest  seeker  for 
many  months,  but  refusing  to  join  the  church 
when  he  knew  that  it  was  his  duty  to  do  so,  he  did 
not  find  the  blessing  which  he  sought. 

Our  first  quarterly  meeting  in  Schuyler  county 
was  held  in  1827,  by  the  renowned  Peter  Cart- 
wright,  at  the  house  of  Levin  Green.  At  this 
quarterly  meeting  occurred  the  first  baptism  in  the 
county,  and  we  now  considered  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  as  established  in  the  county. 
The  first  class  organized  by  William  See,  at  our 
house,  had  now  grown  into  three  classes.  Regular 
circuit  preaching,  first  by  Eev.  William  Medford 
and  then  by  Asa  D.  West,  the  present  cir- 
cuit preacher,  and  our  settlement  a  regular  ap- 
pointment on  the  Atlas  circuit.  And  of  all  those 
who  rejoiced  in  this  progress  of  the  church  and 
spread  of  the  truth,  there  was  not  one  so  delighted 
as  my  dear  mother. 

In  the  fall  of  1827,  I  accompanied  my  father  to 
St.  Louis.  We  went  down  the  river  in  a  skiff, 


68  RECOLLECTIONS. 

camping  out  and  shooting  geese  and  ducks  in 
abundance.  The  day  after  our  arrival,  father  went 
down  to  Carnii,  about  a  hundred  miles  further  on, 
to  attend  to  some  business  matters,  leaving  me  for 
several  days  in  the  city  with  friends.  While  there, 
I  soon  fell  in  with  a  lad  of  about  my  own  age,  and 
together  we  took  a  job  of  cleaning  out  a  keel-boat, 
and  taking  care  of  it  while  it  was  being  loaded  for 
the  Missouri  river  fur  trade,  earning  about  two 
dollars  apiece.  AVhile  engaged  in  this  work,  one 
day,  the  steamboat,  "America,"  the  best  then  on 
the  river,  came  in  from  Pittsburg,  and  landed 
immediately  below  our  keel-boat.  At  night  we 
built  a  large  fire  on  the  shore,  around  which  soon 
gathered  ten  or  a  dozen  lads  of  about  our  own  age. 
AVhen  there,  enjoying  ourselves,  we  were  startled 
by  a  splash  in  the  water  and  the  sight  of  a  man 
just  disappearing  under  the  guards  of  the  boat, 
and  sinking  in  water  about  fifty  feet  deep,  where 
was  a  perpendicular  lime-stone  bank.  The  largest 
boy  of  the  company,  and  who  happened  to  be  near- 
est to  the  river,  rushed  down  and  fortunately 
caught  the  man  by  his  clothes  and  pulled  him  out. 
Dripping,  and  as  we  soon  found  drunk,  as  well,  we 
helped  him  to  the  fire.  While  the  poor,  unfor- 
tunate was  there  warming  and  drying  himself,  he 
said  to  his  rescuer  in  a  hiccoughing  way,  for  his 
plunge  had  not  quite  sobered  him:  "I  am  very 
much  obliged  to  you,  my  young  friend,  for  pulling 
me  out  of  the  river."  "Yes,  I  guess  you  are,  or 
ought  to  be,"  returned  the  boy.  "If  I  had  not 
caught  you  just  as  I  did,  I  expect  you  would  have 


RECOLLECTIONS.  69 

been  in  hell  now,  and  the  old  devil  would  have  had 
you  on  a  big  pitchfork,  and  would  have  been  roast- 
ing you."  To  this  sentiment,  the  wretched  man 
appeared  to  assent,  while  the  company  of  boys 
around  the  fire,  by  their  seriousness  and  gravity 
seemed  to  appreciate  the  point. 

On  my  father's  return  we  made  a  fine  sail  up 
the  river,  making  thirty  miles  the  first  day. 

On  this  trip  when  near  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois, 
father  shot  an  immense  grey  eagle,  measuring  be- 
tween' seven  and  eight  feet  from  tip  to  tip. 

About  this  time  he  also  bought  for  my  brother 
and  me,  our  first  rifles.  My  earnings  in  boat 
cleaning  while  in  St.  Louis  procured  the  ammuni- 
tion, and  we  felt,  that  at  last,  we  were  well  equiped 
for  hunting. 

Thus  prepared,  we  took  good  heed  that  what- 
ever time  could  be  spared  that  winter  and  afterwards 
from  caring  for  stock  and  our  usual  winter  work, 
should  be  devoted  to  hunting.  We  looked  mostly 
for  turkeys,  raccoons,  foxes  and  similar  game,  and 
of  these  we  killed  a  great  many,  and  considered 
ourselves  quite  expert  hunters. 

On  one  afternon,  when  we  had  each  killed  a  tur- 
key and  were  neariiig  home,  just  about  dark,  we 
saw  a  large  owl  fly  into  the  dense  top  of  a  lofty 
elm  tree.  "Stop!"  said  my  brother,  who  stood 
ready  to  discharge  his  gun.  "Let  me  shoot  him!" 

Instantly  he  fired  into  the  tree  top,  when  to 
our  surprise  down  fell  the  owl,  shot  as  centrally 
as  if  Norris  had  known  just  where  he  sat,  when 
the  fact  was,  it  was  too  dark  to  see  anything  clearly. 


70  RECOLLECTIONS. 

A  good  opportunity  was,  this  winter,  afforded  us 
of  exercising  our  skill  as  marksmen.  We  were 
then  wintering  a  herd  of  cattle  in  the  Illinois 
bottom,  and  were  in  the  habit  of  salting  them 
every  two  weeks.  During  that  season  I  killed 
fifty-five  turkeys,  six  being  the  largest  number 
killed  in  any  one  day. 

In  the  spring  of  1828  Norris  and  I  told 
father  that  he  might  consider  himself  excused 
hereafter  from  farm  work;  that  he  might  employ 
himself  as  he  thought  fit  and  that  we  would  attend 
to  the  stock  and  the  work. 

This  agreement,  which  gratified  father  very 
much,  was  faithfully  adhered  to  by  us  as  long  as 
the  family  remained  unbroken,  and  was  a  helpful 
arrangement  to  all.  The  next  spring  we  were 
early  at  work,  putting  in  the  crop  and  enlarging 
the  farm.  We  pushed  business  so  far  ahead,  that 
we  also  found  time  to  attend  school  three  months 
during  the  summer. 

But  in  order  to  do  this,  and  keep  everything 
up,  it  was  necessary  to  plow  and  hoe  from  four 
until  eight  in  the  morning,  and  from  five  until 
eight  in  the  evening.  This  we  considered  no  bur- 
den and  accomplished  it  with  satisfaction,  glad  of 
an  opportunity  for  self  improvement,  and  literary 
culture. 

In  July  I  was  attacked  with  the  ague,  and  had 
seventy-two  shakes  in  seventy-two  days.  This  re- 
duced my  strength  very  much  and  released  me 
for  a  time  from  labor. 

But  nobody  on  this  account  thought  me  entitled 


RECOLLECTIONS.  71 

to  much  sympathy  or  attention,  nor  considered 
that  I  .was  very  sick. 

It  was  only  the  "ager" — which  everybody  had, 
and  which  would  end  when  frost  came,  which  I 
found  that  it  did  to  my  great  relief.  The  next 
fall  I  made  a  very  pleasant  trip  to  St.  Louis  with 
my  father,  in  a  large  canoe  or  pirogue,  and  which 
trip  resulted  in  making  me  somewhat  skilled  as  a 
waterman. 

In  the  fall  and  winter  of  twenty-eight  and  twen- 
ty-nine, A.  W.  Dorsey  taught  the  school  in  our 
neighborhood  which  I  then  attended. 

From  Mr  Dorsey  I  first  heard  of  Abraham  Lin- 
coln, who  had  been  one  of  his  pupils  the  previous 
winter. 

Mr.  Dorsey  remembered  young  Lincoln 
kindly,  spoke  of  him  frequently,  and  would  say, 
"Abraham  Lincoln  is  one  of  the  noblest  boys  I 
ever  knew  and  is  certain  to  become  noted  if  he 
lives." 

I  might  be  permitted  to  add  here,  although  it 
may  be  considered  to  savor  of  egotism,  that  Mr. 
Dorsey  also  spoke  of  my  resemblance  to 
Lincoln  on  several  occasions.  He  would  some- 
times natter  my  vanity,  by  saying,  "that  he  would 
be  greatly  mistaken  if  Chauncey  Hobart  and  Abra- 
ham Lincoln  would  not  each  be  heard  from  in  this 
world,"  after  a  while.  The  July  following,  both  of 
my  brothers  were  laid  aside  with  the  ague. 

This  sickness  of  theirs,  afforded  me  an  oppor- 
tunity for  a  playful  retaliation  of  their  boyish 
pranks  on  me  the  previous  year,  when  I  had  been 


72  RECOLLECTIONS. 

similarly  laid  aside  from  work.  Then  when  too 
feeble  to  run,  they  would  amuse  themselves  by 
throwing  squashes  or  other  missiles  at  me,  just  to 
laugh  at  my  awkwardness — in  trying  to  avoid 
them. 

But  I  was  merciful  in  my  fun  at  their  expense, 
as  I  could  appreciate  their  feelings,  from  my  own, 
the  year  before,  and  preferred  to  do  what  I  could 
to  make  their  confinement  endurable,  rather  than 
miserable. 


RECOLLECTIONS.  73 


CHAPTEE  VII. 

J\  BOUT  the  first  of  May  1831,  the  community 
^J-  was  startled  with  the  announcement  that  the 
Indians,  at  and  near  Rock  Island,  under  the  leader- 
ship of  their  chief  Black  Hawk,  were  threatening 
the  destruction  of  the  whites  in  that  vicinity; 
that  the  few  regulars  at  Fort  Armstrong,  were  un- 
able to  bring  them  to  order;  and  that  a  brigade  of 
mounted  volunteer  riflemen,  was  to  be  raised,  and 
marched  immediately  to  the  scene  of  action.  This 
news  was  soon  followed  by  the  Governor's  Proc- 
lamation and  call  for  men. 

As  soon  as  the  call  was  issued  I,  announced  my 
determination  to  go,  as  a  volunteer.  To  this 
father  at  first  was  rather  unwilling  to  assent,  but 
when  the  time  came,  he  not  only  consented  that 
both  my  brother  N orris  and  myself  should  go,  but 
indeed  felt  strongly  inclined  to  accompany  us  him- 
self. 

Our  company  of  one  hundred  men  was  organized, 
by  electing  Hart  Fellows  captain,  Wm.  C.  Rails 
first  lieutenant,  and  all  the  other  officers. 

Governor  Joe  Duncan  took  command,  and,  as  our 
county  lay  immediately  on  the  line  of  march  to 
Rock  Island,  we  were  ordered  to  wait  until  the 

6 


74  RECOLLECTIONS. 

brigade  came,  when  we  (Captain  Fellows  Co.) 
were  made  part  of  the  "Fourth  regiment,  Illinois 
volunteers,"  fifteen  hundred  strong. 

We  marched  in  four  columns,  the  baggage  train 
keeping  the  road,  and  two  regiments  on  either 
side.  Ours  being  the  extreme  left. 

To  most  of  the  men  this  going  to  war  was  a  time 
of  rare  frolic  and  nonsense.  To  us  frontier  boys, 
accustomed,  as  we  had  been,  "to  roughing  it,"  most 
of  the  time,  and  to  all  kinds  of  wind  and  weather, 
the  camping  out  in  blankets  under  the  stars,  and 
marching  through  heavy  rains,  were  not  considered 
hardships;  we  vastly  enjoyed  it;  we  thought  it  was 
royal  fun. 

Guards  and  scouts,  however,  were  regularly  de- 
tailed, as  if  there  was  danger  near;  but  nothing 
occurred  to  interrupt  the  jollity  of  the  march  to 
Rock  Island,  not  even  the  occasional  mishaps  of 
some  luckless  wight,  as  when  a  stumbling  or  skit- 
tish horse  would  throw  his  rider,  or  some  such 
accident.  The  catching  of  the  "runaway"  and  the 
adjustment  of  the  traps  again,  would  serve  but  to 
increase  the  merriment 

On  our  fourth  night  out,  we  were  camped  on  the 
prairie,  on  the  north  side  of  Pope  river,  about 
thirty  miles  from  Black  Hawk's  village  on  Hock 
river.  During  that  day  our  scouts  had  captured 
and  brought  in  two  Indians  who  pretended  to  be 
Potawatamies,  but  who  were  in  reality  sent  out  by 
Black  Hawk  as  spies,  to  ascertain  the  strength  of 
the  army  approaching  him.  This  started  the  re- 
port that  there  was  a  large  body  of  Indians  near  us, 


RECOLLECTIONS.  75 

and  that  we  might  expect  an  attack  that  night. 
This  some  believed,  but  the  most  of  the  boys  re- 
garded it  as  a  ruse  to  try  their  temper,  and  laughed 
at  it  as  a  joke.  Sure  enough,  about  ten  o'clock  at 
night,  the  whole  army  was  aroused  by  the  firing  of 
the  guard,  and  the  order  was  given  to  form  in  line 
immediately.  Those  of  us  who  were  expecting 
this,  or  something  like  it,  regarded  it  as  a  false 
alarm  to  test  the  grit  of  the  men,  and,  of  course, 
we  stood  ready,  firm  and  calm.  A  few,  however, 
were  terribly  frightened,  and  felt  inclined  to  show 
the  white  feather,  so  that  after  all,  the  false  alarm, 
which  it  proved  to  be,  answered  the  purpose  for 
which  it  was  gotten  up,  admirably. 

The  next  day,  when  about  half  way  to  the  In- 
dian village,  we  were  met  by  one  of  Gen.  Games' 
staff  officers,  and  were  ordered  to  turn  to  the  left, 
and  camp  on  the  Mississippi,  about  ten  miles  below 
Black  Hawk's  village.  This  was  thought  wise  and 
politic,  as  it  brought  our  army  in  full  view  of  the 
Indians,  and  gave  them  an  idea  of  our  strength,  and 
allowed  them  to  leave  in  their  canoes  for  the  west 
side  of  the  Mississippi,  if  they  would,  and  so  avoid 
bloodshed. 

The  following  morning,  as  we  marched  up  to- 
ward the  village,  Gen.  Games  left  Fort  Armstrong 
and  came  down  towards  the  same  point  with  his 
artillery,  and  opened  fire,  not  on  the  village  but 
on  the  hiding  places  of  the  Indians  round  about. 
This  plan  succeeded  admirably,  and  the  Indians 
took  to  their  canoes  and  left.  Our  brigade  then 
crossed  Rock  river  by  ford  and  ferry  in  one  of  the 


76  RECOLLECTIONS. 

most  drenching  rain  storms,  and  camped  that 
night,  in  the  deserted  bark  huts  of  the  town  (Black 
Hawk's  village. )  After  destroying  the  corn  fields 
we  burned  the  village  and  then  camped  three  miles 
above,  where  the  city  of  Rock  Island  now  stands. 
Word  was  soon  afterwards  sent  to  Black  Hawk  to 
come  in  and  make  a  treaty.  But  this  he  refused 
to  do,  until  told  that  "the  wild  men,"  (our  brigade) 
would  be  sent  after  him  if  he  did  not.  He  then 
came  in,  and  after  several  days  were  spent  in 
parleying,  he  agreed  that  the  Indians  should  not 
come  on  the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi  river,  more 
than  two  at  a  time,  unless  they  were  permitted  by 
the  Indian  agent.  This  ended  our  first  campaign 
in  the  Black  Hawk  war,  having  been  in  the  service 
about  thirty  days. 

Black  Hawk's  village  was  the  largest  Indian 
town  in  the  west.  It  is  supposed  to  be  the  place 
where,  during  the  British  war,  Tecumseh  had 
assembled  all  the  western  Indians  and  united  them 
against  the  Americans.  The  band  of  which  Black 
Hawk  was  chief,  was  composed  of  Sacs  and  Foxes, 
and  was  known  as  the  British  band. 

It  is  well  known  that  when  the  northern  part  of 
Illinois  was  bought  from  the  Indians,  Black 'Hawk 
did  not  attend  the  treaty;  would  not  and  did  not 
agree  to  sell,  and  refused  to  leave.  But  as  all  the 
tribe,  except  this  one  clan  had  sold,  his  stubborn- 
ness was  not  considered  worthy  of  much  attention. 
And  so,  when  the  settlers  began  to  get  near  him 
again,  he  was  as  hostile  as  he  dared  to  be,  acting 
as  if  they  were  trespassers  on  his  rights.  On  an 


RECOLLECTIONS.  77 

occasion  of  this  kind,  Gen.  Gaines  told  him  that 
if  he  .did  not  behave,  he  would  send  the  soldiers 
from  the  fort  to  make  him.  At  this,  Black  Hawk 
scornfully  dared  him  to  execute  his  threat,  saying 
menacingly:  "If  you  do,  I  will  make  my  squaws 
whip  your  regulars  and  run  them  back  to  the  fort!" 


78  EECOLLECTIONS. 


CHAPTEE  VIII. 

QiJOON  after  our  return  home,  father  engaged  to 
^*x  assist  our  neighbor,  Mr.  Chadsey,  iu  erect- 
ing and  starting  a  saw  mill,  which  the  latter  was 
building  on  Sugar  creek,  near  the  Illinois  bottom. 
This  was  well  known  to  be  an  unhealthy  place. 
The  sickly  season  was  coming  on,  and  we  felt  much 
anxiety  as  to  his  health,  while  thus  occupied,  know- 
ing that  he  was  remaining  there  on  this  work  at 
the  peril  of  his  life.  But  because  of  the  warm 
friendship  existing  between  Mr.  Chadsey  and  him- 
self, the  desire  of  the  people  to  have  a  saw-mill 
started,  his  own  need  of  lumber  to  finish  a  barn  he 
had  commenced  building,  and  with  a  feeling,  too,  of 
security  against  the  unwholesomeness  of  the  loca- 
tion, as  he  had  not  been  sick  a  single  day  since 
coming  into  the  State,  my  father  disregarded  our 
warnings  and  fears,  and  remained  at  work  until 
August,  having  then  completed  the  mill. 

On  his  return  home  he  was  feeble  and  restless, 
and  did  not  seem  like  his  cheery  self.  Mother  be- 
came at  once  alarmed,  and  anxious,  and  commenc- 
ed the  use  of  all  the  remedies  of  which  she  knew, 
to  nurse  him  back  to  health  and  strength.  But 
her  efforts  were  in  vain.  In  a  short  time  his 


RECOLLECTIONS.  79 

symptoms  developed  into  a  serious  attack  of  bil- 
ious fever. 

The  best  physicians  in  the  county  were  sent  for, 
and  all  that  skill  could  do,  was  done.  Syrnpathiz 
ing  friends  by  the  hundreds  were  at  hand,  to  do  all 
that  their  kindness  and  good  will  could  prompt. 
Probably  there  was  scarcely  a  man  in  the  county 
who  had  not  been  in  some  way  helped  and 
benefited  by  my  father.  This  fact  seemed  at 
this  time  of  our  sorrow  to  unite  the  whole  com- 
munity in  an  effort  to  lighten  our  burden,  and  to 
prevent,  if  possible  the  dreaded  result.  But  it 
came.  Nothing  checked  or  seemed  to  modify  the 
disease  which  had  attacked  him.  It  held  on  stead- 
ily to  its  relentless  grasp,  until  about  six  o'clock 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  twenty-seventh  of  August, 
when  the  great  brave  heart  stood  still. 

The  mortal  struggle  ended,  and  the  true  noble 
soul,  joined  the  unnumbered  hosts  of  the  glorified. 
He  was  hid  from  our  sight:  had  entered  that  world 
where  there  is  "no  more  death,  and  where  sorrow 
and  sighing  are  unknown."  But  he  left  us  so 
lonely.  He  had  only  reached  the  age  of  fifty 
years,  and,  had  always  been  so  strong  and  vigorous. 
Of  my  father  it  may  be  truly  said  that,  for  moral 
integrity  he  has  had  few  equals.  He  loved  what 
ever  was  true,  and  just,  and  right,  above  every- 
thing else,  and  he  hated  the  false,  and  the  mean, 
with  equal  intensity.  This  phase  of  his  character 
was  the  only  occasion  of  an  unkind  feeling  toward 
him  so  far  as  I  have  known. 

AVhat  he  thought  wrong  he  denounced,  honestly 


80  RECOLLECTIONS. 

and  fearlessly,  in  friends  or  enemies.  And  what  he 
believed  to  be  right,  he  unflinchingly  upheld  and 
approved,  decidedly. 

No  one  mistook  his  position  or  needed  to  be  in 
doubt  as  to  where  he  stood  on  all  moral  questions. 

So  that  on  this  part  of  the  battle  field  of  life,  a 
grander  fight  than  his  was  never  fought. 

More  than  fifty  years  have  passed  since  that  sad 
hour,  when  he  was  taken  from  our  home  and 
life,  and  in  these  years  my  opportunities  for  ob- 
serving character  have  been  many  and  varied;  yet 
as  a  man  and  a  citizen  of  elevated  tone  and  princi- 
ple, and  of  unswerving  adherance  to  what  he  be- 
lieved to  be  right,  he  is  still  my  model. 

In  his  early  Christian  life,  my  father  felt  called 
to  preach.  This  he  shrank  from,  as  involving,  he 
thought,  too  many  and  too  great  responsibilities. 

On  the  birth  of  his  twin  sons,  however,  he 
solemnly  dedicated  them  to  the  Lord,  entreating 
Him  to  accept  them  for  the  work  of  the  ministry  in 
his  place. 

My  dear,  honored,  much  loved  father!  Our  re- 
union, and  companionship  will  in  due  time  be  con- 
summated, and  its  unmeasured  joy  will  be  the 
counterpart  of  my  unutterable  sorrow  at  our  part- 
ing. 

This  sad  event  changed,  probably,  the  entire 
course  of  my  own,  and  brother's  lives — all  our 
plans  were  altered. 

It  had  been  our  purpose,  when  we  came  of  age, 
to  go  to  Texas,  which  was  then  a  foreign  country, 
and  struggling  for  its  independence.  And  we  had 


RECOLLECTIONS.  81 

determined,  when  there,  if  energy  and  daring 
could  win  us  honor  or  position  to  make  these  our 
own. 

But  now  we  could  not  think  of  leaving  mother, 
and  the  two  younger  children.  Duty  said,  our 
place  Avas  to  care  for  these,  and  so  far  as  we 
might,  to  fill  together  a  father's  place  to  those  he 
had  left. 


82  KECOLLECTIONS. 


CHAPTEK  IX. 

^"T7HE  winter,  following  our  great  loss,  was  spent 
by  us  in  getting  in  logs  and  sawing  lumber,  in 
order  to  complete  the  barn  which  father  had  be- 
gun. 

In  the  spring  we  had  but  just  finished  getting  in 
the  crop,  when  the  whole  country  was  again  start- 
led by  a  call  for  a  brigade  of  mounted  volunteer 
riflemen  to  repulse  the  invasion  of  Black 
Hawk,  who  had  crossed  -the  Mississippi,  fifteen 
hundred  strong,  and  was  marching  up  Hock  river 
to  the  terror  of  the  frontier  settlements. 

To  this  call  of  Governor  Reynolds,  a  quick  re- 
sponse was  made.  Rushville,  the  county  seat  of 
Schuyler  county,  and  two  miles  and  a  half  from 
our  home,  was  made  the  place  of  rendezvous. 

There  the  brigade  was  organized  by  electing 
Samuel  Whiteside,  general.  Schuyler  county  fur- 
nished two  companies.  Samuel  Hollingsworth 
was  captain  of  the  Bushville  company. 

It  was  agreed  between  my  brother  and  myself 
that  I  should  volunteer,  and  he  would  remain  at 
home  to  look  after  the  family.  I  was  elected  cor- 
poral of  Capt.  Hollingworth's  company.  In  four 
days  we  reached  our  first  objective  point,  Ocpaakee. 


EECOLLECTIONS.  83 

We  were  then  ordered  to  an  island  in  Bock  river, 
where  was  the  village  which  we  had  destroyed  the 
year  before. 

We  remained  on  this  island  five  days  until  sup- 
plies arrived  and  then  a  battalion  of  infantry 
composed  of  regulars  and  volunteers  was  formed. 
Our  supplies  were  mostly  placed  on  board  a  keel- 
boat  of  which  this  battalion  took  charge,  and  we 
(Whiteside's  brigade)  were  ordered  up  Rock  river, 
in  pursuit  of  Black  Hawk  and  his  band. 

General  Atkinson,  who  commanded  the  expedi- 
tion, remained  with  the  infantry  and  keel-boat, 
while  General  Whiteside  was  expected  to  keep  in 
communication  with  the  party  on  the  river. 

This  was  too  slow  work  for  our  boys  on  horse- 
back, and  Whiteside  determined  to  dash  on  to 
"Dixon's"  ferry  a  hundred  miles  further  up,  al- 
though we  had  but  three  days  rations  with  us. 

This  point  was  reached  on  the  third  day;  and 
we  found  Major  Stillman, '  who  had  been  there 
about  four  days,  with  two  hundred  and  seventy- 
five  men. 

These,  being  an  independent  battalion,  they  were 
ordered  by  Gov.  Reynolds  to  proceed  up  Rock 
river  as  a  scouting  party,  and  learn  what  they 
could  of  the  whereabouts  of  Black  Hawk. 

Stillman  left  the  next  morning  taking  his  bag- 
gage train  and  provisions  along,  while  our  brigade 
was  obliged  to  wait  for  the  keel-boat  for  supplies. 

In  the  mean  time  our  rations  ran  short  and  no 
help  could  be  had  until  the  infantry  came  up  with 
them. 


84  BECOLLECTIONS. 

The  few  hogs  and  cattle  which  the  settlement  of 
half  a  dozen  families  afforded  were  soon  exhausted, 
and  we  were  living  on  less  than  half  rations,  having 
really  out  ran  our  orders.  About  two  o'clock  on  the 
third  morning  after  Major  Stillman  had  left,  we 
were  startled  by  the  report  of  a  straggler  from 
Stillman's  battalion  stating  that  there  had  been  a 
desperate  fight  with  Black  Hawk,  and  that  Still- 
man and  all  his  men  with  the  exception  of  two  or 
three  were  killed.  And  that  the  Indians,  fifteen 
thousand  strong,  would  be  upon  us  before  daylight. 

This  aroused  the  camp.  The  men  were  sent  to 
bring  in  the  horses — many  of  them  miles  away. 

Our  scanty  breakfast  was  hastily  eaten,  and  by 
sunrise  we  were  two  miles  out  on  the  prairie. 

During  the  march  up  Hock  river  to  the  battle 
field,  we  met  squads  of  Stillman's  men  who  were 
perfectly  demoralized,  and  saying  we  would  find 
Indians  by  the  thousands  just  ahead  of  us.  * 

When  we  had  proceeded  about  twenty  miles  we 
came  upon  the  indications  of  the  fight:  dead 
horses,  blankets,  guns  and  other  articles  which 
had  been  dropped  in  the  flight.  And  before  we 
had  reached  Stillman's  camp  we  had  found  the 
bodies  of  ten  white  men,  and  two  Indians  who  had 
been  killed.  These  we  buried,  and  then  camped  on 
the  battle  field. 

We  soon  learned  the  particulars  of  the  scrim- 
mage of  the  day  before,  and  found  that  Black 
Hawk  had  vacated  his  camp  and  fled  up  the  river 
to  parts  unknown.  Our  want  of  provisions  pre- 
vented our  following  him,  and  we  returned  to  Dixon. 


KECOLLECTIONS.  85 

Here  we  waited  two  days,  when  our  supplies  ar- 
rived. 

As  our  brigade  had  been  called  out  for  only 
ninety  days,  and  as  war  was  now  a  certainty,  Gov- 
ernor Reynolds  issued  a  proclamation  for  three 
brigades  of  mounted  volunteers  for  six  months  to 
rendezvous  at  Ottowa. 

In  the  meantime  Gen'l  Whiteside  was  ordered 
to  proceed  up  Rock  river  and  Sycamore  Creek, 
cross  the  big  prairie  to  Fox  river,  and  protect  the 
frontier  as  much  as  possible  until  the  other  brig- 
ades should  be  organized.  This  was  done,  and  on 
our  meeting  the  brigades  at  Ottowa  we  were  mus- 
tered out  of  service,  and  returned  home. 

My  brother  Norris  then  volunteered,  and  spent 
the  summer  scouting  along  the  frontier  settlements 
between  the  Mississippi  and  Illinois  rivers. 

In  December,  1833,  my  mother  was  married  to 
Joshua  Ticknor,  Esq.  As  the  two  younger  children 
went  with  mother  to  the  home  of  Mr.  Ticknor,  my 
brother  and  I  were  left  to  run  the  farm  by  our- 
selves. 


86  RECOLLECTIONS. 


CHAPTEK  X. 

H"7HE  year  following  this  event  was  filled  up  with 
farm  work,  also  by  my  brother's  going  to 
New  Orleans  on  a  flat  boat,  and  by  my  teaching  a 
three  months,  school. 

It  was  in  the  November  of  this  year  that  there  oc- 
curred that  remarkable  meteoric  display,  which 
has  made  memorable  November  thirteenth,  1833. 
On  that  wonderful  occasion  almost  any  point  of 
the  heavens  on  which  the  eye  was  fixed  appeared 
as  a  centre  from  which  the  "stars"  were  shooting 
in  all  directions,  and  this  continued  from  midnight 
until  daylight. 

People  were  generally  much  alarmed.  Horns 
were  blown  here  and  there  to  arouse  the  people. 
Many  thought  the  day  of  judgement  had  come, 
and  the  end  of  all  things  was  at  hand.  Others 
took  this  wonderful  phenomenon  as  obtusely  as  a 
neighbor  of  mine  who  said,  he  thought  that 
was  the  way  the  stars  went  out  every  morning. 

With  myself  and  brother  Truman,  as  we  observ- 
ed it  together,  it  was  a  matter  of  intense  curiosity 
and  interest,  but  without,  to  me,  any  feelings  of 
alarm. 

I  had  been  for  some  time  previous  to  the  events 


RECOLLECTIONS.  87 

already  narrated,  captain  of  a  militia  company,  and 
being  widely  and  favorably  known  throughout  the 
country,  my  social  and  political  prospects  were 
rather  flattering,  having  already  held  several 
offices  of  public  trust. 

We  had  kept  a  large  tent  in  order,  on  the  camp 
ground,  for  mother,  for  several  years,  in  which  we 
had  frequently  entertained  at  a  dinner  as  many  as 
sixty  persons.  And  yet  in  all  these  years  although 
keeping  up  the  habit  of  reading  my  Bible  and  of 
secret  prayer,  I  had  in  no  way  committed  myself 
outwardly  to  a  religious  life. 

In  the  latter  part  of  February  1834  I  had  attend- 
ed a  protracted  meeting  at  Kushville,  which  had 
for  some  time  previously  been  in  progress  under 
the  conduct  of  Rev.  Wm.  C.  Stribbling  of  Jackson- 
ville, Illinois,  and  T.  N.  Ealston  and  Peter  R. 
Borein,  the  two  last,  being  the  preachers  on  the 
Rushville  circuit.  This  meeting  was  held  in  the 
Rushville  Court  House. 

Sunday,  February  twenty-fifth,  had  been  spent 
by  myself  and  a  party  of  young  ladies  and  gentle- 
men in  sleigh  riding.  We  had  come  to  Rushville, 
intending  to  attend  church  in  the  evening  and  ride 
home  at  night. 

Accordingly  we  went  to  church.  In  a  moment, 
almost,  after  the  text  was  announced,  I  found  my- 
self intensely  interested  in  the  discourse  that  fol- 
lowed. Every  thought  was  given  to  the  subject 
treated.  The  text  was  from  Rev.  VI.,  17:  "For 
the  great  day  of  his  wrath  is  come,  and  who  shall 
be  able  to  stand?"  The  divisions  of  the  sermon 


88  RECOLLECTIONS. 

were:  First,  "Days  of  God's  wrath;"  second, 
"Great  days  of  God's  wrath;"  third,  "Greatest 
day  of  God's  greatest  wrath." 

The  speaker  was  Wm.  C.  Stribbling.  A  tall 
spare  man,  with  long  face,  large  mouth  and 
swarthy  complexion. 

This  awful  theme  was  then  in  the  hands  of  a 
master,  and  seldom  has  its  presentation  on  that 
evening,  been  equaled. 

The  parting  heavens,  the  descending  Judge, 
the  angelic  host,  the  arch-angelic  shout,  the 
resurrection  trump,  the  rising  dead,  the  triumph 
of  the  redeemed,  and  the  wailing  of  the  lost — were 
all  brought  before  us,  as  in  living  reality. 

None,  I  think,  seemed  unmoved,  while  many 
cried  aloud  in  terror,  and  agony. 

This  discourse  was  followed  by  a  powerful  ex- 
hortation from  Bro.  Ralston,  and  then  by  an  over- 
whelming pathetic  and  tender  invitation  to  seek- 
ers, given  by  Bro.  Borein.  The  sermon  had  stirred 
me  mightily;  the  exhortation  and  invitation  had 
deepened  conviction  until  I  was  nearly  on  the 
point  of  yielding  and  going  forward  to  the  mourn- 
er's bench,  determining  almost  to  seek  God  then 
and  there;  but  just  at  this  moment  a  good  brother, 
Ayers,  a  neighbor  of  mine,  came  to  persuade  me  to 
go  forward.  This  aroused  my  old,  troublesome 
spirit  of  antagonism,  and  I  refused  to  go,  refused 
to  commit  myself. 

At  the  close  of  the  meeting,  however,  and  as  I 
went  out  of  the  house,  a  terrible  fearfulness  seized 
me;  an  awful  dread  lest  the  day  of  grace  had  passed, 


RECOLLECTIONS.  »» 

and  that  the  door  of  mercy  had  been  closed  against 
me  forever.  I  seemed  to  see,  that  if  it  were  not 
already  too  late,  this  was  God's  last  call  to  me. 
And  from  all  my  subsequent  history  I  have  every 
reason  to  believe  that  this  was  really  so.  I  wept 
and  prayed  all  the  way  home,  and  although  it  was 
a  great  cross  to  me,  went  and  asked  Bro.  Ayers 
to  come  in  and  pray  with  me.  My  dear  mother, 
who  had  returned  home  with  me,  also  prayed  for 
me  most  earnestly.  For  three  days  and  nights  my 
soul  was  in  agony  and  distress,  unutterable,  inde- 
scribable ;  I  read  my  Bible  and  prayed  almost  con- 
tinually. I  attended  the  meeting  the  next  evening, 
and  contrary  to  all  my  former  habits  of  taking  a 
seat  where  I  should  not  be  observed  or  spoken  to, 
I  then  took  my  place  in  the  very  front  seat,  and  on 
the  bench  to  which  mourners  would  be  invited. 
I  knelt  with  these,  prayed,  sought,  wrestled  and 
used  every  means  of  grace  within  my  knowledge. 
At  the  end  of  these  three  days  the  keenness  of  my 
agony  passed  away,  and  I  was  conscious  of  a  little 
hope;  but  I  was  unwilling  to  accept  this  as  con- 
version. 

On  Monday  night,  February  26th,  I  joined  the 
church  as  a  seeker,  thus  committing  myself  pub- 
licly, and  as  fully  as  possible,  to  the  cause  of  Christ. 

The  protracted  meeting  ended;  but  still,  as  a 
seeker,  I  attended  all  the  prayer  and  class-meetings 
within  reach,  as  well  as  the  preaching  on  the  cir- 
cuit, and  the  private  means  of  grace. 

In  the  meantime  Bro.  Borein  had  appointed  a 
two  days'  meeting  in  MacDonough  county,  ( a  point 


90  RECOLLECTIONS. 

on  our  circuit, )  to  be  held  the  tenth  and  eleventh  of 
March.  This  appointment  was  fifteen  miles  away. 
The  day  before  the  meeting  commenced,  Bro. 
Wm.  H.  Taylor  came  and  spent  the  night  with  me, 
and  insisted  on  my  going  to  the  two  days'  meeting 
with  him  the  next  day.  We  talked  together  until 
a  late  hour  that  night.  He  understood  my  condition 
much  better  than  I  did,  and  among  other  things  he 
told  me  that  I  must  immediately  begin  to  discharge 
duty  by  confessing  Christ  in  public;  that  I  must 
speak  in  the  love-feast  the  next  morning,  at  the 
meeting,  and  go  right  forward  in  the  discharge  of 
every  public  and  private  religious  duty,  leaving 
results  with  God.  We  went  on,  and  the  following 
morning  he  handed  me,  at  the  house  of  Bro.  Jack- 
son, where  we  had  stayed  in  MacDonough,  the 
Bible,  telling  me  to  lead  in  family  prayer.  This  I 
did  not  dare  to  refuse;  so,  taking  the  book,  did  the 
best  that  I  could,  but  with  much  shrinking.  At  the 
love-feast  I  told  the  people  in  a  broken  sort  of 
way,  what  my  convictions  and  purposes  were,  and 
that  I  had  determined  to  serve  God.  When,  to  my 
astonishment,  on  taking  my  seat,  there  came  over 
me,  and  into  my  heart,  a  calm,  sweet  peace,  and 
a  consciousness  that  God  was  reconciled  and  that  I 
was  accepted  of  him  such  as  I  had  not  known  be- 
fore. He  became  mine  and  I  was  His.  This  was 
the  great  event  of  my  life ;  "old  things  had  passed 
away,  and  indeed  all  things  had  become  new,"  and 
from  henceforth  my  one  work  was  to  serve  God. 

On  my  return  home,  I  erected  the  family  altar, 
which  has  been  a  tower  of  strength  and  of  comfort 


EECOLLECTIONS.  91 

to  me  from  that  day  to  this,  and  has  never  fallen 
down. 

My  family,  at  this  time,  consisted  of  my  aged 
grandmother,  ninety-three  years  old;  my  sister 
Lizzie,  who  assisted  in  caring  for  our  grandmother, 
and  my  youngest  brother,  Truman,  who  was  attend- 
ing school  and  living  with  me. 

On  the  fifteenth  of  the  following  April,  1834,  I 
was  married  to  Miss  Betsey  C.  Ticknor,  eldest 
daughter  of  Joshua  Ticknor,  Esq.,  my  stepfather. 
We  made  a  happy  household.  Life,  which,  since 
the  death  of  my  father,  and  the  marriage  of  my 
mother,  had  seemed  desolate  and  often  dreary,  be- 
came full  of  the  old  time  cheer  and  brightness, 
with  the  added  joy  of  the  Lord  now  in  my  soul. 

In  May,  my  brother,  Norris,  returned  from  New 
Orleans,  with  health  much  impaired,  and  in  the 
following  August  he  was  happily  converted  at  a 
camp-meeting,  held  near  Rushville,  and  united 
with  the  church;  and  in  the  following  September 
he  was  married  to  Mary,  youngest  daughter  of  my 
stepfather,  Joshua  Ticknor,  and  sister  of  my  wife. 
My  sister,  Elizabeth,  and  Greenburg  G.  Dorsey, 
Esq.,  being  married  at  the  same  time  and  place. 

In  the  preceding  June  the  cholera  had  broken 
out  in  Rushville.  Many  had  died,  and  among  the 
first  that  were  attacked  were  about  twenty  men 
who  were  known  to  be  habitual  drunkards..  This 
alarmed  the  people,  who  fled  from  the  town  in 
great  numbers;  but  among  those  who,  like  brave 
men,  stood  at  their  posts,  caring  for  the  sick  and 
burying  the  dead,  were  Rev.  John  Scripps  and  Bro. 


92  RECOLLECTIONS. 

Borein.  It  was  hoped  that  this  terrible  scourge 
would  not  spread  beyond  the  village,  but  it  did. 
On  the  fifteenth  of  July,  my  nearest  neighbor  and 
good  friend,  Bro.  Ayers,  was  attacked.  I  sat  up 
with  him  until  daybreak.  He  died  soon  after. 

In  a  few  days  my  dear  old  grandmother  died  in 
her  ninety-fourth  year.  She  had  survived  her 
husband  a  year  and  a  half.  Her  death  was  fol- 
lowed by  that  of  father  Ticknor.  Here  the  disease 
seemed  to  stay,  after  having  carried  away  about 
sixty  persons. 

So  terrible  was  the  thought  of  this  destroyer, 
that  it  was  difficult  to  procure  help  to  take  care  of 
the  sick,  or  to  perform  the  last  sad  rites  for  the 
dead.  In  the  cases  of  three  who  died  in  our 
neighborhood,  I  took  care  of  them  alone,  and  was 
one  of  four,  who  laid  them  away  until  the  morning 
of  the  resurrection. 

During  these  few  terrible  weeks  our  religious 
meetings  were  suspended,  but  with  returning  health 
they  were  resumed  and  with  increased  enjoyment. 


RECOLLECTIONS.  93 


CHAPTEE  XL 

TN  the  June  of  which  I  spoke  in  the  last  chapter,  I 
*  had  been  appointed  assistant  class  leader,  and  in 
the  following  September,  steward.  These  official 
responsibilities  were  helpful  by  way  of  prompting 
me  to  duty,  extending  my  acquaintance  with  the 
work  and  usages  of  the  church,  and  accustoming 
me  somewhat  to  public  speaking  and  to  leading  in 
church  matters. 

Our  preacher,  on  the  Rushville  circuit,  for  1834 
and  1835,  was  Rev.  W.  H.  Window,  a  young  man 
recently  from  England.  Intellectually  and  theo- 
logically he  was  above  mediocrity,  but  entirely 
unacquainted  with  our  American  frontier  life  and 
its  peculiar  usages. 

My  duty  as  steward  lead  me  to  visit  the  circuit 
extensively;  and  as  "the  table  expenses"  of  the 
pastor  were  collected  mostly  in  provisions,  and  had 
to  be  taken  to  the  preacher's  home,  I  was  fre- 
quently at  his  house,  and  our  intercourse  afforded 
me  excellent  opportunities  for  mental  improvement. 

The  leisure  of  the  winter  and  spring  was  occu- 
pied in  reading  several  theological  works,  and 
in  attending  the  quarterly  and  two  days'  meet- 
ings on  the  circuit.  To  enable  us  to  do  this  with- 


94  RECOLLECTIONS. 

out  pecuniary  loss,  Norris  and  I  were  in  the  habit 
of  plowing  by  moonlight,  so  as  to  gain  time  to  at- 
tend the  meetings  on  Saturday. 

In  our  neighborhood  "class,"  several  of  us,  among 
whom  were  my  brother  and  myself,  covenanted  to 
visit  and  pray,  each  week,  with  some  one  of  our 
neighbors,  who  was  unconverted.  This  induced 
quite  a  revival  spirit,  and  resulted  in  the  conversion 
of  a  number  at  our  class  and  prayer  meetings.  In 
the  next  year,  June,  1835,  Norris  and  myself  were 
licensed  to  exhort  by  Bro.  Window,  having  been 
recommended  by  the  class.  This  was  unexpected 
by  me,  and  caused  me  to  hesitate  long  about  the 
propriety  of  accepting;  but  after  humble,  earnest 
prayer  and  many  tears,  I  reasoned  about  it  in  this 
way:  "If  these  good  brethren  think  that  I  ought  to 
exercise  this  gift,  it  is  my  duty  to  do  the  best  I 
can,  and  at  least  give  them  a  chance  to  correct  their 
error,  if  they  have  committed  one,  in  appointing  me." 
Consequently  I  sent  out  three  appointments  for 
the  next  three  Sabbaths,  leaving  one  Sabbath  in 
four  to  spend  at  home.  These  appointments  were 
kept  up  during  the  summer,  and  were  sometimes 
seasons  of  great  liberty  and  religious  enjoyment; 
and  at  other  times,  the  heavens  seemed  brass  and 
the  earth  iron,  and  I  was  much  discouraged.  But  I 
considered  it  important  that  I  should  make  a  fair 
trial,  so  that  the  quarterly  conference,  when  called 
upon  to  act  in  my  case,  might  not  be  in  ignorance, 
in  regard  to  me,  and  so  went  on. 

Just  before  our  fourth  quarterly  meeting,  Bro. 
Window  called  and  said  that  he  should  ask 


EECOLLECTIONS.  95 

the  class  to  recommend  me  for  license  to  preach. 
This  .1  endeavored  to  persuade  him  not  to  do,  tell- 
ing him  that  it  was  altogether  improper.  And  al- 
though I  was  very  weary,  having  had  an  unusually 
hard  day's  work,  I  rode  two  miles  in  the  evening, 
with  the  intention  of  opposing  this  proposed  re- 
commendation ;  for  as  I  saw  it,  I  was  not  competent 
to  preach.  When  the  matter,  however,  was  brought 
up  I  had  a  strange  conviction  that  I  must  not  say  a 
word.  And  the  result  was,  that  the  brethren  very 
cordially  recommended  me. 

As  this  was  what  I  had  neither  planned  nor  de- 
sired, nor  made  any  calculations  for,  I  shrank  from 
it,  oh,  so  much;  but  finally  comforted  myself  by 
thinking:  fliese  good  friends  and  kind  brethren 
have  done  this  for  fear  of  hurting  my  feelings; 
when  the  quarterly  conference  comes  to  act  on  it, 
they  will  certainly  see  the  impropriety  of  such  a 
course,  and  will  just  renew  my  license  as  an  ex- 
horter,  and  then  I  will  be  all  right. 

The  camp-meeting  for  the  circuit  that  year  was 
to  be  held  at  Pulaski,  twenty  miles  from  home. 
The  membership  of  the  circuit  being  about  six 
hundred,  and  of  the  quarterly  conf erence,over  fifty. 
In  due  time  (September,  1835,)  the  camp-meeting 
came  on;  and  when  my  case  came  up  in  quarterly 
conference,  I  retired  into  a  corn-field,  and  prayed 
most  earnestly  that  God  would  interpose  and  guide 
in  this  affair,  and  that  He  would  permit  nothing  im- 
proper or  wrong  to  be  done.  Upon  my  return,  I 
learned  that  Norris  and  myself  had  been  licensed  to 
preach,  and  also  Bro.Grauville  Bond,  whose  case  was 


96  RECOLLECTIONS. 

under  consideration  when  I  retired.  Thus,  almost 
against  my  own  convictions,  feeling  myself  un- 
worthy, and  but  poorly  qualified  to  assume  such 
serious  responsibilities,  I  was,  in  obedience  to  what 
I  dared  not  doubt  to  be  the  Godly  judgment  of  my 
brethren  and  fathers  in  the  church  and  the  will  of 
God,  ushered  into  the  ranks  of  the  great,  grand 
army  of  Methodist  preachers. 

Our  first  work  as  local  preachers,  was  to  appoint 
a  two  days'  meeting  at  Uncle  Azel  Dorsey's,  twelve 
miles  west  of  us.  Bro.  Bond,  my  brother  and  my- 
self had  to  assume  the  responsibilities  of  preaching 
until  Sunday,  when  we  had  the  promise  of  assist- 
ance from  Rev's.  D.  B.  Carter  and  W.  H.  Taylor. 
We  entered  upon  this  enlarged  field  of  work  with 
much  solicitude  and  many  prayers.  As  the  idea  of 
this  meeting  had  originated  with  me,  it  was  ar- 
ranged that  I  should  preach  the  first  sermon  on 
Saturday,  at  eleven  o'clock  A.  M.  This  I  did  as 
well  as  I  could.  We  were  looking  for  the  promised 
help  on  Saturday,  before  the  evening  meeting,  but 
as  it  did  not  come,  my  brother  preached  at  night; 
and  we  had  a  time  of  much  seriousness;  the  spirit 
of  God  being  manifestly  present.  In  the  morning, 
we  had  a  good  love-feast,  and  Bro.  Bond  preached 
well.  On  Sunday  morning  Bros.  Warner  Oliver 
and  C.  J.  Houts,  exhorters,  came ;  the  latter  speak- 
ing at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

For  the  Sunday  night  meeting,  the  following, 
was  our  plan,  I  was  to  preach,  and  if  I  felt  like  it, 
call  for  mourners.  If  not,  Brother  Oliver  was  to 
exhort,  and  if  he  felt  like  it,  he  was  to  call  for 


RECOLLECTIONS.  97 

mourners.  If  not,  my  brother  Norris  was  to  exhort, 
and  if  he  felt  like  it,  he  was  to  call  for  mourners. 
If  not,  Bro.  Bond  was  to  exhort  and  he  was  to  call 
for  mourners,  whether  he  felt  like  it  or  not.  Take 
notice — we  were  four  boy  preachers. 

At  the  appointed  hour  I  preached,  and  then 
gave  way  to  Bro.  Oliver.  He  exhorted  and  then 
gave  place  to  Norris.  He  exhorted  and  then  ven- 
tured to  call.  By  that  time  Bro.  Bond  could  stand 
it  no  longer,  and  he  began  to  exhort  in  another 
corner  of  the  room.  At  the  same  moment  I  too, 
without  previous  purpose,  began  also  to  exhort  in 
another  part  of  the  room. 

The  holy  fire  began  to  burn  wonderfully.  Seek- 
ers rushed  forward  to  where  each  of  us  stood  and 
knelt  down  at  our  feet, — sixteen  seeking  souls 
pleading  with  God..  We  then  all  knelt  and  prayed. 
There  were  not  less  than  forty,  supplicating,  weep- 
ing, earnestly  entreating,  all  at  once,  and  yet  there 
was  not  the  slightest  approach  to  disorder.  In  a 
short  time  one  was  converted  and  began  to  shout. 
Then  another  to  praise  God,  and  shout,  "glory! 
glory!"  until  little  else  could  be  heard,  but  shouts 
and  praise. 

Looking  up  I  saw  uncle  Azel  Dorsey,  who  had 
been  unable  to  walk  without  a  cane  for  years,  rush- 
ing through  the  house  and  over  the  benches  shout- 
ing and  praising  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  without  a 
cane  or  other  support.  While  Aunt  Nellie  his 
wife,  a  very  quiet  Christian  lady,  was  clapping  her 
hands  and  praising  God  aloud,  something  she  had 
never  done  before. 


98  RECOLLECTIONS. 

And  well  they  might  rejoice,  two  of  their  sons 
had  just  been  joyfully  converted.  Before  the  close 
of  that  meeting  thirteen  united  with  the  church. 
This  greatly  encouraged  us  and  removed  many 
doubts  as  to  the  life  work  which  was  opening  be- 
fore us. 

My  work  as  a  local  preacher  was  now  fairly  in- 
augurated. The  circuit  preachers  this  year  were 
Wilson  Pitner  and  W.  T.  Williams.  There  were 
twenty-eight  appointments  and  about  six  hundred 
members,  with  ten  or  twelve  local  preachers  and 
exhorters.  My  regular  appointments  were  as  in 
the  three  months  previous,  every  fourth  Sunday  at 
Sugar  creek,  at  Lamasters  and  at  Astoria. 

These  were  only  interrupted  by  the  circuit 
preaching,  quarterly  camp-meetings,  and  two  days' 
meetings.  The  last  we  managed  to  hold  about 
every  four  weeks,  and  with  our  host  of  warm  heart- 
ed loving  members,  local  preachers  and  exhorters, 
in  attendance,  they  were  often  seasons  of  very 
great  power,  at  which  many  were  converted;  clear- 
ly and  satisfactorily  saved. 

Late  in  the  fall  I  appointed  a  two  days'  meeting, 
at  Sugar  creek,  at  which  point  I  had  been  exhort- 
ing and  preaching  for  over  a  year.  This  place 
which  had  been  among  the  most  lawless,  had  been 
much  benefited  by  the  year's  work  and  by  the 
meeting  at  this  time,  at  which  my  brother  and 
Isaac  Linder,  an  exhorter,  assisted  me. 

This  meeting  was  one  of  great  power.  It  began 
with  considerable  interest,  which  grew  more  and 
more  intense  until  sixteen  were  converted  or  re- 


RECOLLECTIONS.  99 

claimed.  As  the  result  of  this  meeting  a  class  of 
about  twenty  was  formed,  and  the  place  became 
from  that  time  one  of  the  regular  points  for  circuit 
preaching. 

Sometime  in  the  latter  part  of  May,  our  band  of 
"local  itinerants"  had  planned  to  hold  a  two  days, 
meeting  at  old  Bro.  P — s,  twenty  miles  south  of  me. 
I  could  not  get  away  from  my  corn  plowing  so  as  to 
get  there  until  late  Saturday  evening.  When  I 
arrived  the  brethern  informed  me  that  I  was  to 
preach  on  Sunday,  at  three  o'clock  P.  M. 

I  decided  to  speak  from  Ezekiel  XXXIII.,  11, 
on  which  Scripture  I  had  been  bestowing  consider- 
able thought  and  study.  I  felt  some  confidence 
that  in  consequence  of  this,  my  sermon  would  be 
an  improvement  on  my  former  efforts.  The  time 
came.  The  afternoon  was  sultry  and  hot.  The 
house  a  log  cabin  twenty-four  feet  square,  from 
which  beds  and  furniture  had  been  removed. 
There  was  also  a  wide  porch  on  each  side.  Every 
spot  was  crowded  full,  and  it  was  close  and  op- 
pressive. After  the  opening  exercises  I  took  my 
text,  "As  I  live,  saith  the  Lord  I  have  no  pleasure 
in  the  death  of  the  wicked  turn  ye,  turn  ye  from 
your  evil  ways;  for  why  will  ye  die,  Oh  house  of 
Israel?"  My  intention  had  been  to  speak  princi- 
pally from  the  clause,  "Why  will  ye  die?" 

For  about  two  minutes  I  said  what  I  had  planned 
to  speak  of  as  an  introduction.  Then  all  at  once 
my  plan,  sketch  and  previously  arranged  thoughts, 
utterly  vanished.  Not  a  shred,  or  clew,  or  thought 
of  them  remained;  and  catch  them  I  could  not. 


100  RECOLLECTIONS. 

"A  horror  as  of  great  darkness,"  came  over  me. 
I  could  scarcely  see  across  the  house.  The  room 
became  dark.  Yet  there  was  nothing  to 
do  but  to  keep  on  talking.  This  I  did  for 
about  fifteen  minutes  and  then  sat  down,  desir- 
ing nothing  so  much  as  to  get  out  of  sight  of  every 
one  as  fast  as  possible,  and  get  into  a  hole  some- 
where. My  confusion  and  mortification  were 
great.  I  felt  as  if  I  never  could  try  to  preach 
again.  Even  now  I  shudder  to  think  of  the  desolate- 
ness  of  that  hour;  and  had  it  not  been  that  an  ap- 
pointment for  the  next  Sabbath  was  out,  and  there 
was  no  one  else  to  fill  it,  I  think  it  doubtful  if  I 
should  ever  have  attempted  to  preach  again. 

This  experience,  painful  as  it  was  at  the  time, 
proved  of  lasting  benefit.  I  learned  from  it,  that 
however  much  the  study,  or  thought,  or  human 
effort  may  be  to  expound  God's  Word,  all  is  vain 
without  the  presence  and  help  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
in  the  heart.  And  that  to  reach  other  hearts  the 
power  must  be  of  God. 

It  was  with  much  trembling  that  I  went  to  my 
next  appointment  the  following  Sabbath.  But 
the  Lord  was  with  me ;  I  climbed  to  the  mountain 
top  and  had,  by  far,  the  best  time  in  preaching 
that,  up  to  that  date  I  had  enjoyed.  This  encour- 
aged me  greatly,  and  in  humble  dependence  on 
divine  power  I  studied  and  worked  and  kept  up 
my  appointments  through  the  year.  These  ex- 
periences led  me  to  ask  in  great  solicitude  and 
with  deep  seriousness — the  absorbing,  and  to  me 


RECOLLECTIONS.  101 

awful  question,  "Am  I  called  of  God  to  preach  the 
Gospel?" 

There  was  such  a  shrinking  back  from  the  re- 
sponsibilities, which  were  involved  in  an  affirma- 
tive reply,  that  at  times  the  thought  nearly  over- 
whelmed me. 

My  own  un worthiness  for  the  sacred  calling; 
my  lack  of  school  culture,  and  thorough  theologi- 
cal training,  would  confront  themselves  in  my 
mind  with  the  impression  from  childhood  that 
sometime,  God  would  call  me  to  preach;  and  with  the 
remembrance  of  the  many  exhortations  which  as  a 
boy  I  had  given  to  sinners  to  come  and  seek  the 
Lord,  and  which  filled  me  with  gladness,  when 
only  the  birds  and  the  trees  were  my  audience. 

The  memory  too,  that  I  had  been  dedicated  as  a 
Methodist  preacher,  to  God,  from  my  birth,  by  my 
sainted  father;  my  own  joy  in  the  work,  and  most 
assuring  of  all,  the  seal  of  His  approval,  which  had 
attended  my  humble  efforts  as  an  exhorter  and 
local  preacher,  in  the  conversion  of  many  souls; 
all  led  me  to  ponder,  again  and  again,  the  great 
question  of  my  life  work. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  year,  I  found  my  con- 
viction of  the  duty  of  devoting  myself  to  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel  growing  in  strength. 

In  September  (this  was  in  1836)  my  poor  rebel- 
lious heart  was  led  still  more  to  yield  obedience  to 
the  voice  of  God  within  me,  by  the  death  of  our 
first  born,  Sarah  Emiline,  a  lovely  babe,  given  to 
us  in  April  and  left  with  us  but  four  months; 
then  she  was  borne  to  the  "upper  fold."  The 


102  RECOLLECTIONS. 

little  tabernacle,  which  she  occupied  so  short  a 
time,  sleeps  in  the  Rushville  cemetery,  with  a 
little  brother  and  sister,  who  also  died  in  infancy. 

All  these  doubts  and  fears  and  hopes  as  well, 
were  finally  settled  by  me  in  this  way:  I  solemnly 
covenanted  with  the  Lord,  that  if  it  was  His  will, 
made  evident  by  the  wish  of  the  church,  I  would 
give  up  all  opposition,  and  devote  my  life  to  the 
work  of  the  ministry,  and  do,  with  His  help,  the 
best  I  could.  And  if,  after  an  honest  effort  thus 
to  do  his  will,  I  found  that  I  could  not  succeed  as 
a  preacher,  then  I  would  return  to  my  farm  work 
and  a  Christian  life  of  usefulness;  but  I  was  to  be 
forever  after  free  from  the  burden  of  a  call  to 
preach. 

The  mental  and  great  bodily  labor  which  I  had 
undergone  that  summer  reduced  my  strength  and 
health,  so  that  at  the  fourth  quarterly  meeting  for 
the  year,  which,  as  usual,  was  held  in  connection 
with  the  camp-meeting,  I  was  too  feeble  to  be  of 
any  assistance,  though  I  enjoyed  the  camp-meet- 
ing, which  was  an  excellent  one,  very  much;  and  I 
found  myself  greatly  benefited  by  the  few  days 
rest,  and  the  freedom  from  care  and  anxiety.  At 
this  camp  and  quarterly  meeting,  Peter  Cartwright 
being  presiding  elder,  I  was  recommended  for  re- 
ception 011  trial  in  the  Illinois  conference,  together 
with  rny  brother  Norris,  C.  J.  Houts  and  Warner 
Oliver. 


RECOLLECTIONS.  103 


CHAPTER  XII. 

CT7HE  conference  this  year,  1836,  met  at  Rush- 
ville,  and  was  held  in  connection  with  the 
camp-meeting  for  that  station. 

The  preachers  came  from  Green  Bay,  Lake  Su- 
perior, St.  Peter,  (Minnesota)  Prairie  du  Chien, 
Cairo  and  Shawiieetown,  a  glorious  band  of  heroic 
men. 

John  Clarke,  Salmon  Stebbins  and  Alfred 
Brunson,  were  leading  the  battle  along  the  north- 
ern frontier.  Bartholomew  Weed  and  Henry 
Summers  took  all  of  Iowa,  and  a  good  share  of 
northwest  Illinois,  and  southwest  Wisconsin  in 
their  districts.  While  Charles  Holliday,  S.  H. 
Thompson,  John  Dew,  John  VanCleve,  Asahel  E. 
Phelps  and  Peter  Cartwright  were  marshalling 
grandly  the  hosts  of  the  Lord  in  their  great  fields. 

The  business  sessions  of  the  conference  were 
held  in  the  church  in  Rushville;  while  the 
public  religious  services  and  preaching  were  con- 
ducted at  the  camp-ground,  a  mile  away. 

As  we  had  a  large  tent  on  the  camp-ground  and 
old  friends  by  the  hundreds  to  care  for,  I  could 
see  but  little  of  the  conference;  save  what  was  to  be 
seen  and  enjoyed  and  heard,  on  the  ground. 


104  RECOLLECTIONS. 

On  Sabbath,  Bishop  Morris  preached,  and  or- 
dained the  deacons  at  eleven  o'clock  A.  M. ;  and  A. 
Brunson  gave  us  a  rousing  missionary  sermon  in 
the  afternoon ;  after  which  the  elders  were  ordained. 

I  learned  during  the  Sabbath,  that  on  the  Satur- 
day before,  when  the  "first  question"  had  been 
taken  up  in  conference,  that  in  answer  to  the  in- 
quiry, "who  have  been  received  on  trial?"  the 
record  read:  "Warner  Oliver,  John  P.  Richmond, 
Chauncey  Hobart,  Norris  Hobart,  C.  J.  Houts, 
Ahira  G.  Meacham,  William  H.  Taylor,  William 
Haney,  John  Jordan,  David  King,  David  Hotch- 
kiss,  John  Crummer,  T.  W.  Pope,  Elijah  Cor- 
rington,  John  C.  Hamilton,  Stephen  Arnold, 
Daniel  G.  Cartwright,  Asbury  Chenowith,  R.  W. 
Clarke,  John  Shepard,  Amos  Wiley,  Annis  Mer- 
rill, Isaac  Poole,  James  B.  Woollard,  Joshua 
Barnes,  Arthur  Bradshaw,  Samuel  Pillsbury, 
George  Smith,  Isaac  I.  Stewart  and  John  De- 
morest." 

The  camp-meeting  closed  on  Monday  noon,  and 
on  Monday  evening,  Peter  R.  Borein,  at  the  church, 
gave  the  missionary  address  on  the  occasion  of  the 
missionary  anniversary.  What  John  Summerfield 
was  in  the  east,  flaming  with  eloquence  and  holy 
zeal,  was  Peter  R.  Borein  in  the  west,  during  the 
five  years  preceding  his  death.  On  this  occasion, 
he  began  with  a  description  of  the  missionary 
spirit,  as  seen  in  the  Evangelical  churches,  and 
especially  in  our  own  church;  traced  this  wonder- 
ful influence  back  to  McKendree,  Abbott,  Asbury, 
Wesley,  Fletcher,  Whitefield,  Knox,  Latimer, 


RECOLLECTIONS.  105 

Ridley,  Cranmer,  Luther,  Zwingli,  Melanchthon, 
Wyckliffe,  Huss  and  Savonarola;  found  it  work- 
ing mightily  in  the  hearts  of  Augustine,  Hilary, 
Ambrose,  Chrysostom,  Irenseus  and  Polycarp; 
burning  in  Paul  and  Silas,  in  Peter,  Stephen  and 
John;  seen  in  matchless  power  in  the  Pentecost, 
and  in  the  loving  life  and  glorious  death  of  the 
world's  Redeemer.  Back  of  this,  climbing  the 
heavens  and  scanning  the  Infinite,  he  found  it 
flowing  in  ocean  fullness,  from  the  very  heart  of 
God.  His  peroration  was  an  eloquent  portrayal  of 
its  final  and  glorious  triumph;  in  its  grand  and 
universal  consummation,  amid  the  apocalyptic 
glories  of  eternity. 

The  effect  was  simply  overwhelming;  we  de- 
scended to  the  contemplation  of  earthly  things 
again  just  a  little,  when,  after  singing  the  mis- 
sionary hymn,  John  Clarke,  missionary  from  Lake 
Superior,  stated,  that  he  had  three  Indian  boys — 
George  Copway,  John  Johnson  and  Peter  Marks- 
man— who  had  been  soundly  converted  and  who 
wished  to  spend  a  couple  of  years  in  school;  that 
they  could  be  accommodated  at  Ebenezer  Institute, 
near  Jacksonville,  then  under  the  supervision  of 
Dr.  Peter  Akers,  and  all  that  was  needed  was  the 
money  to  pay  expenses.  In  response  to  this  ap- 
peal, three  thousand  dollars  were  raised  imme- 
diately. 

On  the  next  day,  the  appointments  were  read, 
and  I  found  that  I  was  set  down  for  Rockingham 
circuit;  Henry  Summers,  presiding  elder.  My 


106  EECOLLECTIONS. 

brother,  Norris,  was  sent  to  Burlington  circuit. 
Both  appointments  were  in  Iowa. 

Buckingham  was  a  speculators'  town,  long  since 
abandoned;  located  on  the  west  side  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, opposite  the  mouth  of  Rock  river.  A  class 
of  sixteen  had  been  organized  at  this  place,  by 
Bev.  C.  D.  James,  the  previous  summer.  Excepting 
this,  there  was  no  other  organization,  class  or  ap- 
pointment, on  what  was  intended  to  be  Bockiiig- 
ham  circuit,  and  which  was  to  include  all  the  set- 
tlements west  of  the  Mississippi  and  above  the 
lower  Iowa  river;  a  stretch  of  one  hundred  miles 
on  the  river  and  as  far  back  as  the  settlements 
extended.  No  church,  no  parsonage,  no  steward; 
not  an  official  member,  save  one  class-leader,  and 
his  name  I  did  not  know.  To  take  my  wife  to  this 
work  was  impossible;  and  so  it  was  arranged  that 
she  and  her  sister  (my  brother's  wife),  should  live 
together  at  my  house,  during  the  winter,  at  least, 
while  we  went  to  our  circuits. 

Our  preparations  were  made  as  rapidly  as  pos- 
sible. Outfit  and  saddle-bags  procured,  on  the 
third  of  November,  1836,  my  brother  and  I, 
leaving  our  wives  in  tears,  started  for  our  circuits 
in  the  Black  Hawk  purchase,  since  known  as  the 
grand  State  of  Iowa.  We  traveled  together  as 
far  as  Burlington,  having  spent  the  Sabbath  at 
Augusta,  on  Skunk  river,  where  I  had  preached  at 
ten  o'clock.  After  that  we  rode  on  to  Burlington, 
intending  to  hold  meeting  there  that  evening,  but 
we  found  a  Bro.  Shelton,  an  exhorter,  who  was 
filling  an  appointment  of  his  own.  This  was  the 


BECOLLEOTIONS.  107 

principal  point  on  my  brother's  work.  The  next 
morning  we  parted,  he  starting  westward,  and  I 
north,  in  company  with  Bro.  Shelton,  for  Rock- 
ingham.  Our  route  lay  along  the  Mississippi;  we 
followed  the  trail  under  the  bluff,  where,  in  some 
places,  it  was  made  passable  for  wagons  and  in 
others  difficult  even  for  horsemen.  I  spent  the 
first  night  with  Bro.  Swank.  The  next  day  I  rode 
on  and  in  two  and  a  half  days  reached  Rocking- 
ham,  in  a  drenching  rain,  and  was  kindly  received 
by  Bro.  Davenport,  the  class-leader. 

Once  on  the  ground,  the  next  thing  to  do  was 
to  learn  the  extent  and  population  of  my  field  of 
labor.  Leaving  an  appointment  here,  for  the  next 
Sabbath,  I  proceeded  to  the  town  of  Davenport, 
five  miles  above.  There  I  gave  out  another  ap- 
pointment for  Sabbath,  at  three  o'clock  P.  M.,  and 
rode  up  the  river  and  stopped  with  a  good  Bro. 
Herald.  The  next  day  I  rode  eight  miles  further 
on  and  left  an  appointment  at  Father  Spencer's 
for  two  o'clock  P.  M.,  Tuesday,  and  rode  back  to 
Father  Davenport's.  Here  I  found  Rev.  Daniel  G. 
Cartwright,  who  had  been  appointed  to  the  Iowa 
mission.  This  would  bring  Bro.  Cartwright  and 
myself  to  occupy,  in  part,  the  same  ground.  This 
mistake  had  arisen  from  the  fact  that  Rev.  Peter 
Cartwright,  when  at  Burlington,  having  learned 
that  there  was  unoccupied  ground  above  Burling- 
ton circuit,  had  organized  for  this,  the  Iowa  mis- 
sion; while  Rev.  A.  Brunson,  having  learned,  when 
at  Rock  Island,  the  same  facts,  had  organized  the 
Rockingham  circuit,  and  preachers  had  been  sent 


108  RECOLLECTIONS. 

to  each.  Bro.  Cartwright  preached  for  me  at 
Rockingharn  and  then  went  with  me  up  to  Daven- 
port, where  I  preached.  In  the  evening,  Bro. 
Shelton  held  forth  at  Rockingham,  and  I  left  an 
appointment  there  to  be  filled  in  two  weeks. 

It  was  arranged,  in  view  of  the  mistake  which 
had  been  made  by  the  elders,  that  Bro.  Cartwright 
should  take  the  country  south  of  Pine  river  for  his 
circuit  and  I  all  north  of  it  for  mine.  This  divi- 
sion was  continued  until  spring,  when  all  north  of 
the  Iowa  river  was  given  to  me.  The  week  was 
occupied  in  hunting  up  members  and  professors, 
and  in  filling  the  appointment  at  Father  Spencer's, 
who,  by  the  way,  was  a  brother  of  my  father's  old 
friend  of  that  name,  from  Vermont. 

On  one  of  these  rides,  in  going  along  an  Indian 
trail,  I  met  a  man  hunting  his  horses,  who,  when 
questioned  about  preaching  places  and  religious 
people,  excitedly  replied,  that  he  did  his  own 
preaching.  When  asked  if  his  neighbors  did  the 
same,  he  gruffly  made  answer:  "They  do."  I  soon 
learned  that  he  was  one  of  those  wicked,  swearing, 
reckless  men,  who,  without  any  pretense,  even,  to 
that  claim,  like  to  call  themselves  Universalists ; 
one  of  the  kind  that  always  gets  mad  at  the  sight 
or  thought  of  anything  looking  to  a  religious  effort. 
Riding  on  I  dined  with  a  young  man  of  the  name 
of  Hubbard  and  left  with  him  an  appointment  for 
preaching  in  two  weeks,  Wednesday,  at  eleven 
A.  M.  Three  miles  on,  I  left  another  appointment, 
at  the  house  of  the  father  of  young  Mr.  Hubbard, 
for  the  same  Wednesday  at  candle  lighting.  These 


EECOLLECTIONS.  109 

two  points  were  a  few  miles  above  the  present  city 
of  Le  Claire.  I  then  rode  five  miles  further 
and  spent  the  night  with  a  Mr.  Pineo,  who,  I  de- 
sire to  say,  would  accept  nothing  in  the  morning 
as  compensation  for  my  entertainment,  which  in 
those  days  and  in  that  country,  was  something 
rather  unusual. 

The  next  morning  a  ten  mile  ride  brought  me 
to  Brophy's  Ferry,  on  the  Wapisipinecan.  Here 
I  learned  that  there  were  but  three  houses  above 
this  point  for  the  next  twenty  miles,  and  only  one 
of  these  occupied  by  a  married  man.  As  Brophy, 
the  ferryman,  was  a  bachelor,  there  were  four 
houses,  containing  four  men  and  one  woman,  in  a 
stretch  of  thirty  miles.  This  information  ended 
my  search  for  preaching  places  in  that  direction. 

I  then  took  an  Indian  trail  for  Rock  Island,  and 
reached  Davenport,  after  a  hard  ride,  crossing 
many  bogs,  creeks,  sloughs  and  marshes  of  a  dole- 
ful character,  and  spent- that  night  with  Bro.  Cook, 
below  Davenport.  This  excellent  brother,  now 
Judge  Cook,  is  still  living  at  the  same  place,  a 
good  man  and  true. 

Thursday,  I  went  down  the  Mississippi  to  learn 
how  frequently,  and  where,  I  could  preach  in  that 
direction.  I  had  heard  of  an  old  Bro.  Camp- 
bell, who  lived  three  miles  below  Clarke's  ferry, 
and  I  thought  to  stay  that  night  with  him.  Ac- 
cordingly I  rode  up  to  his  cabin  door  a  little  before 
sundown.  Being  somewhat  bashful,  about  an- 
nouncing myself  a  Methodist  preacher,  I  simply 
inquired  for  entertainment.  The  old  gentleman 


110  RECOLLECTIONS. 

replied  in  a  hesitating  way  that  he  did  not  make  a 
business  of  entertaining  travelers ;  adding  that  at 
a  house  a  mile  back,  I  could  probably  be  accomo- 
dated.  Lingering  a  moment,  after  this  reply,  and 
seeing  that  he  had  evidently  made  up  his  mind  in 
the  matter,  I  rode  back.  My  mistake  here  was,  in 
not  introducing  myself  at  once  as  a  Methodist 
preacher.  This  would  have  secured  me  a  welcome 
as  I  learned  afterwards.  When  I  reached  the 
house,  a  mile  back,  I  was  again  refused,  and  di- 
rected to  the  next  house  above;  thus  retracing  the 
road  I  had  traveled.  I  rode  on  for  the  "house 
above,"  and  was  again  refused,  and  sent  to  the 
next  house,  that  of  Mr.  Robinson,  a  Presbyterian, 
and  of  whom  later  I  learned  to  think  very  highly. 

Mr.  Robinson  assured  me  civilly,  that  they  were 
full;  two  families  being  already  in  one  log  cabin. 
The  next  trial  was  to  be  made  at  the  tavern  at 
Clarke's  ferry,  New  Buffalo.  Eiding  back,  I  reached 
the  ferry  house  about  dark.  I  had  observed  when 
riding  past  this  place  on  going  down  to  Mr.  Camp- 
bell's, that  the  whiskey  shanty  adjoining  the  house 
was  the  scene  of  a  drunken  row,  judging  by  the 
sound  of  blows,  blaspheming,  and  brutal  yelling. 
When  I  came  back  to  it,  from  my  last  halt,  they 
were  still  at  it,  making  the  night  hideous  with 
their  cursing  and  howling. 

I  asked  the  landlord,  if  I  could  be  accommo- 
dated there  for  the  night,  and  the  reply  was,  only 
with  great  inconvenience  to  myself  and  my  horse, 
as  he  was  full,  with  a  lot  of  rivermen. 

I  inquired  if  the  men  in  the  shanty  were  to  stay 


RECOLLECTIONS.  Ill 

all  night,  and  on  being  informed,  that  they  were,  I 
turned  away,  mentally  declaring  that  I  would  not 
stop  in  such  a  pandemonium  as  that.  Again  rid- 
ing back  to  Mr.  Robinson's  I  informed  him  of  the 
situation  of  things  at  the  ferry,  and  that  I  could 
not  stop  there,  I  then  said:  "You  have  hay  and 
corn  for  my  horse,  and  I  have  money  to  pay  you 
for  them.  If  you  will  feed  my  horse  and  permit 
me  to  sleep  by  your  haystack  I  will  be  greatly 
obliged."  To  this  he  did  not  answer,  but  followed 
me  as  I  started  towards  the  stable.  After  I  had 
pulled  off  the  saddle,  he  took  my  horse  and  fed 
her,  and  I,  taking  saddle  and  saddle-bags  and 
blanket,  went  round  to  the  south  side  of  the  hay- 
stack and  commenced  preparing  a  place  in  which 
to  sleep.  It  was  a  dark  night,  the  wind  being 
from  the  northeast,  and  a  cold  November  mist 
falling.  He  stood  for  a  while  watching  me,  and 
then  said  very  slowly,  "I  reckon  you  had  better 
come  into  the  house."  I  replied,  "I  can  sleep  here, 
but  I  would  much  rather  sleep  on  your  floor  if  you 
will  permit  me."  "Come  in,"  was  his  answer, 
"we  will  do  the  best  we  can."  Gladly  accepting 
the  tardy  invitation,  I  went  in  and  was  made  quite 
comfortable. 

The  next  morning,  I  rode  down  again  to  Bro. 
Campbell's,  and  this  time,  told  him  who  I  was, 
when  he  admonished  me,  in  a  fatherly  sort  of  way, 
for  not  telling  him  that  I  was  the  preacher,  the 
night  before.  Leaving  an  appointment  with  him 
for  two  weeks  from  that  day  (Friday)  I  pursued 
my  explorations  down  to  Pine,  river. 


112  RECOLLECTIONS. 

Having  the  next  Sunday  unoccupied,  and  being 
fearfully  lonely  and  homesick,  I  crossed  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  rode  down  to  Monmouth,  to  spend  the 
Sabbath  with  Father  McNeil,  Bro.  West  and  other 
old  friends  of  my  father,  and  of  my  youth.  I 
preached  at  Monmouth  early  on  Sabbath  morning 
and  again  at  eleven  o'clock  A.  M.  Staid  there 
three  days  and  returned  to  Rock  Island,  where  I 
found  Bro.  John  Spencer,  son  of  my  father's  old 
friend  from  Vergennes.  This  gentleman,  a  grand, 
good  man,  has  since  been  honored  as  Judge  Spen- 
cer, of  Bock  Island.  I  also  take  pleasure  in  here 
recording  my  remembrance  of  the  Christian  kind- 
ness, and  hospitalities  received  not  only  from 
Judge  Spencer,  but  also  from  his  wife,  a  lady  every 
way  worthy  of  him.  I  also  gratefully  remember 
the  courtesy  and  thoughtful  care  of  Bro.  Wells 
and  family,  and  of  Messrs.  Hartzell,  father,  grand- 
father and  uncles  of  Dr.  Hartzell  now  secretary  of 
the  Freedmen's  Aid  society. 

Leaving  my  horse  at  Bro.  Spencer's  I  crossed 
the  river  in  a  skiff,  this  the  thickly  floating  masses 
of  ice  made  very  perilous  at  that  time.  Then  bor- 
rowing a  horse,  filled  my  appointments  and  ar- 
ranged a  two  weeks,  circuit  of  seven  preaching 
places,  extending  fifty  miles  along  the  Mississippi. 

At  the  end  of  the  first  quarter  I  returned  home, 
and  during  my  stay  of  ten  days  there,  held  a  two 
days'  meeting  which  resulted  in  ten  conversions. 

At  Hickory  Grove  which  was  an  additional  ap- 
pointment made  during  the  second  quarter,  I  met 
a  Mr.  Keys  with  whom  I  had  quite  an  interesting 


RECOLLECTIONS.  113 

talk  on  the  subject  of  Universalism,  and  I  especi- 
ally remember  this  as  being  the  first  one  I  had 
had,  on  a  subject  which  has  since  engaged  my 
best  thought,  and  which  I  have  discussed  hun- 
dreds of  times.  It  occurred  on  this  wise,  we  were 
at  the  house  of  Bro.  Carter,  who  purposely  urged 
Mr.  Keys  to  remain  all  night  in  order  that  he 
might  engage  us  in  a  religious  controversy.  Soon 
after  tea,  Bro.  Carter  quite  adroitly  managed  to 
draw  out  Mr.  Key's  views  on  the  subject  of  a 
Christian  life,  and  future  punishment;  when,  as 
was  to  be  expected,  Keys  bitterly  denounced  or- 
thodoxy in  general  and  Methodism  in  particular. 
Bro.  Carter,  at  once,  turned  to  me  with  the  in- 
quiry, "What  do  you  think  of  that?"  "What  are 
your  views?"  Shrinking  from  involving  myself 
in  a  controversy,  I  calmly  replied;  "I  do  not  look 
at  the  matter  that  way,  I  regard  religion  as  bene- 
ficial here,  and  necessary  for  our  well-being  here- 
after." The  arousement  of  Mr.  Keys  was  imme- 
diate. He  went  on  vindictively  to  assert,  that  it 
was  slandering  the  Almighty  to  suppose  that  He, 
whose  nature  was  love,  and  whose  wisdom,  power 
and  goodness  were  infinite,  would  permit  one  of 
His  creatures  to  be  miserable  eternally.  To  this  I 
answered  "that  if  God's  infinite  wisdom,  love  and 
power,  were  certain  to  save  all  men  finally  from 
sin  and  sorrow,  I  could  not  see  why  these  perfec- 
tions did  not  prevent  sin,  sorrow  and  suffering 
here  in  the  first  place ;  that  God  was  now,  no  better, 
or  wiser,  no  more  loving  nor  powerful  than  He  was 
when  man  had  sinned;  that  if  men  could  sin  and 


114  RECOLLECTIONS. 

suffer  a  day  or  an  hour,  and  the  Almighty  continue 
as  wise,  good,  powerful  and  loving  as  He  had  ev  er 
been  or  ever  would  be,  then  there  was  nothing  in 
the  divine  perfections,  to  keep  men  from  sinning 
and  suffering  eternally." 

To  this  he  angrily  responded:  "Everybody  knows 
that  the  Bible  says,  that  as  all  men  had  borne  the 
image  of  the  earthy;  so  all  were  to  bear  the  image 
of  the  heavenly;  that  all  were  to  be  changed,  in  a 
moment,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  and  be 
caught  up  and  be  forever  with  the  Lord." 

I  replied,  that  in  I.  Cor.  Chap.  XV.,  from 
which  he  quoted;  "the  change,  spoken  of,  was 
the  resurrection  of  the  body,  and  the  changing 
of  the  then  living,  from  a  state  of  mortality  to  im- 
mortality, and  not  a  moral  change;  that  when 
Adam  sinned,  his  soul  lost  its  spiritual  life,  and 
became  dead  in  sin,  and  his  body  lost  its  means  of 
perpetuating  its  natural  life,  and  must  die;  that 
Christ  had  secured  the  resurection  of  all  men  from 
the  dead,  and  had  brought  all  within  the  reach  of 
eternal  life,  but  that  the  final  salvation  of  adults, 
depended  on  the  choice  they  made  and  the  life 
they  lived,  and,  that  was  proved  by  the  words  of 
Christ  Himself;  John  V.,  28-29,  when  He  said,  'the 
hour  cometh,  when  all  that  are  in  the  graves  shall 
hear  His  voice  and  shall  come  forth,  they  that 
have  done  good  to  the  resurrection  of  life,  and 
they  that  have  done  evil  to  the  resurrection  of 
damnation.  "Here"  said  I,  "Is  damnation  after 
the  resurrection.' " 


RECOLLECTIONS.  115 

In  a  torrent  of  excitement  he  exclaimed,  "It 
don't  say  so!  It  is  not  so!!" 

"It  certainly  does,"  I  replied,  "it  is  written  just 
so!" 

"It  don't!"  he  cried,  "I  will  give  you  my 
horse,  if  it  does!" 

"I  don't  want  your  horse,"  I  said,  "neither  do  I 
want  to  dispute  with  you,  so  we  will  get  the  Bible 
and  see." 

A  Bible  was  brought,  Bro.  Carter  handing  it  to 
me,  I  turned  to  the  passage,  and  read,  as  quoted. 

"You don't  read  it  right!!"  he  thundered.  "You 
are  just  making  it  up,  it  ain't  there!" 

"Well"  said  I,  "there  it  is,"  handing  him  the 
book,  "read  it  for  yourself!" 

He  took  the  book  and  read,  or  .pretended  to 
read,  and  then  slamming  the  Bible  together  ex- 
claimed, "It  ain't  so!  The  Savior  never  said  it!" 

At  this,  Bro.  Carter  began  to  laugh,  and  said,  he 
hoped  Mr.  Keys  would  hand  over  the  horse,  as 
Bro.  Hobart  had  rode  his,  pretty  well  down  and 
needed  a  fresh  one. 

To  which,  he  replied,  "I'm  sorry  I  stayed  here, 
I've  a  mind  to  go  home!" 

We  had  family  prayer  soon  after  and  parted 
for  the  night,  he  leaving  next  morning  early. 

During  the  winter,  Bishop  Chase  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  church  visited  Bock  Island,  and  was  in- 
vited to  preach  in  Davenport.  In  the  course  of 
his  sermon,  which  was  only  moderate  in  quality, 
he  took  occasion  to  specially  warn  the  people  not 
to  give  any  countenance  to  those  persons,  who 


116  BECOLLECTIOttS. 

were  riding  up  and  down  through  country,  the 
calling  themselves  preachers;  as  they  were,  most 
of  them,  speculators  and  horse-jockeys,  and  none 
of  them  worthy  of  the  least  attention  as  ministers 
of  the  Gospel.  I  should  have  been  generous 
enough  to  have  shared  this  morsel  of  superannu- 
ated spleen,  had  there  been  any  one  with  whom  to 
divide  it;  but  as  I  was  the  only  one  on  that  side  of 
the  river,  to  whom  it  could  possibly  apply,  of  ne- 
cessity I  appropriated  it  all/  thinking,  at  the  same 
time  that,  since  I  was  doing  a  work,  which  neither 
he  nor  his  subordinates  could  do,  he  might  have 
been  manly  enough  to  let  me  alone,  rather  than 
attempt  to  hedge  up  my  way. 

Among  the  many  friends,  made  that  year  and 
whom  I  remember  with  much  pleasure,  were  Rev. 
Elnathan  C.  Gavit  and  his  royal  hearted  and  most 
excellent  wife. 

A  watchnight  meeting  was  held  at  Rock  Island 
on  New  Year's  Eve  by  Bros.  Gavit,  West  and  my- 
self. This  was  a  precious  time  of  power,  the  good 
results  of  which  were  enduring. 

In  the  spring  immigrants  came  by  hundreds,  to 
settle  in  this  part  of  the  country,  and  as  soon  as 
the  grass  was  sufficiently  grown  to  keep  our  horses, 
Bro.  D.  G.  Cartwright  and  I  arranged  to  take  a 
trip  into  the  interior,  to  get  acquainted  with  these 
new  settlers  and,  if  possible,  to  supply  them  with 
preaching.  For  this  purpose,  we  met  at  Bloom- 
iiigton,  now  Muscatine,  and  rode  to  a  place,  then 
called  Moscow,  on  the  Cedar  river.  *  From  thence 
we  pushed  on,  ten  miles,  to  Colonel  Hardman's. 


EECOLLECTIONS.  117 

We  found  the  colonel  to  be  a  member  of  our  church 

and  received  a  warm  welcome  from  him.      The 

• 

news  of  our  arrival  soon  spread  and  quite  a  con- 
gregation gathered  that  night,  to  whom  Bro.  Cart- 
right  preached.  His,  was  the  first  sermon  ever 
preached  in  the  Cedar  river  country. 

We  rode  through  the  Sugar  Creek  and  Eock 
Creek  settlements,  the  next  day,  and  found  six  or 
eight  families,  in  thirty  miles  travel  and  stayed  at 
night  at  the  head  of  Bed  Oak  Grove,  near  where 
Tipton  now  stands. 

Next  day  we  started  in  a  northeast  direction,  in- 
tending to  reach  Bro.  Carter's  at  Hickory  Grove, 
supposing  it  to  be  distant  about  thirty  miles. 
There  was  neither  road,  trail,  stake,  nor  anything 
else  to  direct  us  on  that  great  prairie;  nor  had  any 
one  ever  been  through  the  route  we  were  then 
taking ;  but  we  knew  the  direction  we  wanted  to  go 
and  struck  out.  About  eight  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, we  reached  the  top  of  a  high  swell  or  hill  on 
the  prairie,  and  could  see,  in  the  far  off  distance, 
in  our  course,  a  grove  of  timber,  which  we  hoped 
was  our  point  of  destination.  About  one  o'clock, 
we  came  to  a  deep,  muddy  creek,  twenty-five  feet 
wide;  no  ford  and  the  banks  very  high.  This  we 
must  cross.  Riding  along  up  stream,  we  found  a 
place  where  we  could  get  our  horses  in,  and  about 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  above,  we  discovered,  on  the 
opposite  bank,  another  break,  where  we  thought 
we  could  get  them  out.  We  then  pulled  off  our 
boots,  stuffed  our  stockings  inside,  and  threw  them 
across;  pushed  our  horses  in,  mounted,  rode  up  to 


118  RECOLLECTIONS. 

the  break  on  the  opposite  side,  and  with  great  effort, 
got  our  horses  up,  found^  our  boots  and  rode  on. 
About  five  o'clock  p.  M.,  we  reached  the  grove 
which  we  had  seen  in  the  morning,  and  there, 
from  an  elevation,  could  see,  fully  twenty  miles 
ahead,  Hickory  Grove,  for  which  we  had  started. 
To  reach  there  that  night  was  impossible,  as  it 
was  getting  dark  and  we  could  not  keep  our 
course,  so  we  turned  to  the  southeasterly  side  of 
the  grove,  to  find  a  sheltered  spot  for  ourselves, 
and  grass  for  our  horses.  Just  as  we  reached  the 
lower  extremity  of  the  grove,  we  discovered  a 
wagon  track,  one  day  old,  which  we  followed  and 
soon  found  a  settler.  He  proved  to  be  a  new 
comer  of  one  day,  with  a  wife  and  three  children; 
his  log  cabin  was  half  completed.  Here  were 
kindly  kept,  and,  the  next  day  at  noon,  reached 
Bro.  Carter's. 

Bro.  Cartwright  lived  in  the  bounds  of  my 
brother's  circuit  and,  as  this  circuit  was  twice  as 
populous  as  both  of  our's  and  included  about 
twenty-eight  appointments,  we  decided,  on  this 
trip,  with  my  brother's  consent  and  that  of  the 
presiding  elder,  to  arrange  the  work,  for  the  rest 
of  the  conference  year,  as  follows : 

My  circuit  was  to  include  all  the  country  from 
the  Wapsipinecan  to  the  lower  Iowa;  Bro.  Cart- 
wright,  to  take  all  from  the  lower  Iowa  to  Flint 
river,  and  Norris,  from  Flint  river  to  the  Missouri 
state  line;  each  going  west  as  far  as  the  settle- 
ments extended. 

As  soon  as  possible  I  arranged  my  work  into  a 


RECOLLECTIONS.  119 

three  weeks'  circuit,  with  fifteen  appointments,  to 
which  I  shortly  added  another,  and  on  this  wise: 
When  at  Moscow,  I  heard  that  a  settlement  was 
forming  on  the  Wap-si-no-o-nock,  a  tributary  of 
the  Cedar,  on  the  west  side,  and  ten  miles  south- 
west of  Moscow.  I  then  planned,  so  as  to  have  a 
spare  day,  to  visit  this  place  on  my  next  round. 
After  preaching,  at  Bro.  Hardman's,  one  Sabbath 
about  the  last  of  May,  I  rode  down  the  next  morn- 
ing to  Moscow,  expecting  to  cross  the  Cedar  on  a 
ferry  boat,  but  found  when  I  reached  the  village, 
that  the  ferry-man  was  off  locating  a  claim  and 
would  not  be  back  until  night.  "However,"  said 
my  informant,  a  sensible  looking  middle  aged  man, 
"you  can  ford  the  river  if  you  wish  to  go  over." 
Thanking  him  I  asked  for  directions  so  as  to  find 
the  ford.  "Well,"  said  he  pompously,  "If  I  under- 
take to  direct  a  man  I  want  to  direct  him  right!" 
"If  you  please,  sir,"  said  I,  "for  I  have  no  desire  to 
swim  your  river  this  morning."  Walking  to  the 
top  of  the  bank  which  was  some  sixty  feet  high,  he 
said:  "Now,  you  ride  down  this  angling  footpath, 
till  you  come  to  the  water ;  then  ride  in,  quartering 
down  toward  that  black  snag,  you  see  down  the 
bend,  yonder.  Then,  when  you  get  two  thirds  over, 
turn  square  across  the  river  and  you  will  come 
out  all  right."  With  thanks,  I  rode  on  as  indi- 
cated. When  I  went  into  the  water  I  discovered 
that  I  was  on  a  sand-bar,  which  caused  me  to  hesi- 
tate, but  as  the  water  was  only  up  to  the  girth  I 
rode  on.  When  about  half  way  across,  I  per- 
ceived that  I  was  just  riding  off  the  lower  end  of  a 


120  RECOLLECTIONS. 

steep  sandbar,  and,  I  had  barely  time  to  snatch 
my  saddle  bags  from  under  me  and  throw  them 
over  my  shoulder,  when,  in  we  plunged,  all  under 
water  excepting  the  horse's  head,  and  the  upper 
part  of  my  body.  My  horse  proved  a  good  swim- 
mer, and  I  concluded,  that  when  we  were  in,  we 
might  as  well  swim  over  as  to  swim  back.  Giving 
the  horse  the  rein  and  guiding  him  with  my  hand, 
we  were  soon  on  terra  firma,  safe  and  sound. 
Riding  up  to  a  log  I  dismounted,  pulled  of  my 
boots,  wrung  out  my  stockings,  dried  my  clothes  a 
little  by  pressing  the  water  out,  and  in  a  few  mo- 
ments was  on  my  way.  I  had  proceeded  about 
ten  rods,  when  I  heard  the  whiz  of  a  rattlesnake 
near  my  horse's  feet.  My  rule,  since  a  boy,  had 
been  never  to  let  a  poisonous  snake  go,  without 
killing  him,  so  I  dismounted,  killed  the  reptile 
and  rode  on.  In  a  few  minutes  I  heard  the  rattle 
of  another  snake,  dispatched  him — and  went  on, 
thinking,  if  I  accomplished  nothing  else,  on  this 
ride,  I  might  be  a  sort  of  "St.  Patrick"  in  freeing 
the  country  from  snakes.  A  ride  of  about  ten 
miles  brought  me  to  the  settlement.  Calling  at 
the  first  cabin,  I  found  it  occupied  by  a  Mr.  Foote 
and  family,  when  the  following  colloquy  occurred : 

Preacher, — "Good  morning,  sir!" 

Mr.  Foote, — "How  do  you  do,  sir!" 

Preacher, — "You    have     a     fine   country    here. 
About  the  best  I  have  seen  in  the  territory!" 

Mr.  Foote, — "Yes!  I  think  it  very  good   indeed!" 

Preacher, — "Have  you  many  settlers  here?" 

Mr.  Foote, — "Only  six  families." 


RECOLLECTIONS.  121 

Preacher, — "Any  school?" 

Mr.  Foote, — "No!  we  have  only  been  here  about 
four  weeks." 

Preacher, — "Any  preaching,  or  religious  meet- 
ings?" 

Mr.  Foote, — "No!  but  an  old  gentleman,  a  Bap- 
tist, I  believe,  was  here  and  left  an  appointment  to 
preach  next  Sunday." 

Preacher, — "Have  you  any  religious  people  in 
your  community?" 

Mr.  Foote, — "Why  yes!  I'm  trying  to  be  religious 
myself!  Won't  you  come  in,  and  stay  all  night 
with  us?" 

I  then  informed  him  that  I  was  a  Methodist 
preacher,  and  had  come  to  get  acquainted  with  the 
people,  and  gladly  accepted  his  invitation. 

I  found  that  Mrs.  Foote  was  the  daughter  of  Mr. 
Proctor  of  Lewiston,  111.,  an  old  friend  of  my 
father's  and  that  she  was  also  a  very  intelligent 
lady. 

Mr.  Foote  was  a  Connecticut  Yankee,  whom  his 
father  had  intended  for  the  ministry  of  the  Con- 
gregational church;  but  his  health  having  failed 
before  completing  his  college  course,  he  had  taken 
the  advice  of  Horace  Greely  and,  came  west. 

We  were  soon  engaged  in  discussing  the  doc- 
trinal differences  between  the  Congregational  and 
Methodist  churches.  Mr.  Foote  had  himself  in- 
troduced this  subject,  as  I  felt  somewhat  reluctant 
to  enter  into  a  discussion  of  this  character,  with 
an  ex-theological  student;  and  just  then,  also  being 


122  RECOLLECTIONS. 

his  guest.  He  soon,  however,  put  me  quite  at  ease 
by  saying: 

"It  is  not  for  the  sake  of  controversy  that  I 
desire  to  talk  on  this  subject;  I  am  seeking 
light.  My  brother  went  down  to  Tennessee  four 
years  ago.  There  he  married  a  Methodist  wife 
and  joined  that  church.  Some  months  since  he 
wrote  to  me  asking  my  reasons  for  continuing  a 
Calvinist,  and  wishing  me  to  give  them  to  him.  I 
had,  of  course,  thought  them  very  numerous,  and 
in  order  to  collect  and  support  them  with  scriptu- 
ral authority,  I  took  my  New  Testament  and  read 
it  carefully  through.  To  my  astonishment,  I  did 
not  find  a  single  passage  in  the  four  Gospels, 
which  necessarily  taught  the  peculiarities  (elec- 
tion, reprobation,  etc.)  of  Calvinism;  and  but  one 
or  two,  in  the  other  parts  of  the  New  Testament, 
that  I  could  not  satisfactorily  explain  in  a  way, 
which  did  not  favor  that  doctrine.  So  you  see,  I 
am  seeking  light." 

I  gave  him  the  Methodist  view  of  Romans  VIII- 
IX.,  and  Ephesians  I,  which  seemed  in  his  estima- 
tion, to  be  the  most  difficult  to  harmonize  with  Ar- 
menian views;  telling  him,  at  the  same  time,  frank- 
ly, that  I  was  young  in  theology,  and  was  only  just 
reading  up  my  ministerial  course,  but  would  on  my 
next  round,  bring  him  a  book,  which  would  give  our 
views  on  these,  and  many  other,  disputed  texts  and 
doctrines.  During  that  conversation,  Mr.  Foote 
stated,  in  a  rather  perplexed  way,  that  he  had  been 
in  the  west  six  years;  had  lived  in  seven  dif- 
ferent localities  on  the  frontier,  in  Illinois,  AN  is- 


RECOLLECTIONS.  123 

consin,  and  Iowa,  and  that  he  had  never  been 
called  -on  by  a  Presbyterian  or  Congregational 
minister;  "While,"  said  he,  "it  is  a  little  remarkable, 
that  I  have  not  been  in  any  of  these  localities  four 
weeks,  without  being  visited,  at  my  own  house,  by 
a  Methodist  minister!" 

Leaving  an  appointment  with  this  pleasant 
family,  I  started  on  for  my  next  preaching  place, 
which  was  at  the  mouth  of  Pine  river,  expecting 
to  cross  the  Cedar  at  "Powsheek's"  village,  six 
miles  below  Moscow.  After  quite  a  hard  day's 
travel,  I  came,  about  5  o'clock  p.  M.,  to  a  log  cabin 
and  inquired  as  to  my  whereabouts,  and  learned 
that  I  was  ten  miles  from  Pine  river,  but  that  if  I 
would  stop,  I  could  feed  my  horse  and  get  a  bite 
to  eat.  Here  I  met  an  elderly  lady,  who  inquired, 
if  I  was  not  a  Methodist  preacher.  She  informed 
me  that  she  was  the  widow  of  a  local  preacher  of 
New  York,  had  lived  along  the  frontier  in  Indiana 
for  the  last  ten  years,  and  that  she  had  not  heard 
a  sermon  in  eight  years.  According  to  invariable 
custom,  after  supper  I  read  a  Scripture  lesson, 
prayed  and  sang.  The  old  lady  seemed  very  much 
comforted,  expressed  great  thankfulness  to  God 
for  having  permitted  me  to  call,  and  renewed  her 
covenant  to  serve  Him  faithfully;  saying  as  I  left, 
"I  believe  I  shall  get  to  Heaven  yet."  I  never 
saw  her  afterwards. 

The  next  week,  in  company  with  my  brother  I 
spent  at  my  home,  and  then  went  back  to  my  work. 

This  summer  was  fully  occupied  in  filling  my 
appointments,  visiting  new  settlements,  and  or- 


124  RECOLLECTIONS. 

ganizing  work.  There  were  few  roads  and  no 
bridges*  and,  in  many  instances,  I  visited  places 
from  directions  where  none  had  traveled  before 
me.  I  therefore  claim  to  have  the  honor,  not  only 
of  preaching  the  first  sermon  in  many  localities, 
but  also  of  laying  out  more  new  roads  than  any 
other  man  in  that  country,  before  or  since. 

On  my  next  round,  I  brought  Bro.  Foote  "Wat- 
son's Theological  Institutes"  to  his  great  satisfac- 
tion. I  also  filled  my  appointment  here,  preaching 
the  first  Methodist  sermon  ever  preached  west  of 
Cedar  river. 

In  view  of  the  growing  settlements,  it  was  ar- 
ranged that  our  next  quarterly  meeting  should  be 
held  at  Bro.  Hardman's,  where  I  had  organized  a 
class  of  twenty-five  members,  the  extremes  of 
which  were  thirty-five  miles  apart,  so  far  as  the 
localities  in  which  they  lived  were  concerned. 
This  meeting  was  held  about  the  last  of  August, 
1837,  my  brother  Norris,  D.  G.  Cartwright,  and 
Henry  Summers,  our  presiding  elder,  being  pres- 
ent. The  weather  was  fine,  the  attendance  large, 
probably  about  three  hundred;  so  that  we  were 
obliged  to  hold  the  services  during  the  day  time, 
in  the  grove. 

Saturday  the  preaching  at  11  o'clock  A.  M.,  was 
by  the  elder;  2  o'clock  p.  M.,  by  Bro.  Cartwright, 
and  "at  candle  lighting,"  by  my  brother.  Just  be- 
fore love-feast,  on  Sunday  morning,  we  were  all 
delighted  by  the  arrival  of  Bro.  Foote,  who  had 
come  more  than  twenty  miles,  starting  a  little 
after  midnight.  That  was  a  glorious  love-feast; 


RECOLLECTIONS.  125 

many  were  "shouting  happy."  Bro.  Foote  said  it 
was  the  first  meeting  of  the  kind  he  had  ever  at- 
tended, and  the  happiest  day  of  his  life.  Before 
he  went  home,  he  joined  the  Methodist  church, 
bought  Watson's  Institutes  and  Wesley's  sermons 
and  returned,  rejoicing  in  the  Lord.  He  was 
subsequently  licensed  to  preach;  lived  an  active, 
useful,  Christian  life,  and  died,  some  years  since, 
triumphing  in  Christ. 

In  the  evening,  after  my  brother  had  preached, 
there  was  a  great  move  in  the  congregation. 
Several  came  forward  for  prayer,  and,  of  these, 
almost  all  were  converted.  At  about  ten  o'clock  at 
night,  we  opened  the  doors  of  the  church  and  a 
number  joined;  but  as  there  were  several  others 
who  were  deeply  convicted,  and  especially  a  neigh- 
bor of  Bro.  Hardman — whose  wife  had  been  re- 
claimed and  had  that  evening  joined — I  continued 
the  exhortations,  sang  another  hymn  and  extended 
the  invitation.  Two  others  joined,  but  my  man 
still  held  back,  crushed  with  conviction  and  weep- 
ing profusely.  I  felt  that  I  could  not  leave  him  so, 
and  knowing  the  difficulty  in  his  case,  was  a  bet  on  a 
horse-race  which  was  to  come  off  the  next  week,  I 
determined  to  make  my  appeal  as  pointed  as  pos- 
sible. Saying,  among  other  things,  that  to  start 
now  might  cost  something,  but  that  utter  bank- 
ruptcy here,  if  we  made  Heaven  by  it,  would  be 
eternal  gain ;  that  I  was  going  to  leave  them  in  the 
morning  and  might  never  see  them  again,  until  we 
stood  before  the  great  white  throne.  This,  he 
could  not  resist ;  the  Holy  Spirit  applying  the  truth 


126  RECOLLECTIONS. 

— and  there  being  a  great  wave  of  Sympathy  pervad- 
ing the  entire  audience — he  started;  coming  to  me, 
reaching  out  his  hand — with  his  face  bent  almost 
to  his  knees — he  cried:  "I'll  go!  Cost  what  it  may! 
I'll  go!  I'll  go!"  We  all  bowed  in  thanksgiving 
and  prayer,  and  dismissed  about  as  happy  a  circle 
of  Methodists  as  could  be  found  anywhere. 

This  man,  who  that  night,  had  such  a  struggle 
to  yield  obedience  to  God,  remained  for  years,  and 
so  long  as  I  heard  of  him,  a  faithful  Christian. 
Nor  did  he  suffer  the  loss  he  anticipated. 
When  the  day  of  the  race  came,  neither  he  nor  his 
horse  were  at  the  accustomed  place.  But  when  the 
men,  with  whom  he  had  made  the  bet,  heard  that 
he  was  not  there,  because  he  had  joined  the  Metho- 
dists, they  agreed  to  let  him  off  without  forfeit. 

This  ended  my  first  year's  work  as  an  itinerant. 
A  year  of  toil,  much  anxiety,  some  peril,  great  joy, 
fair  success,  and  a  good  deal  of  encouragement. 

From  this  meeting,  in  company  with  my  brother 
and  the  preachers  who  had  been  with  us,  we  went 
to  Augusta,  to  assist  Norris,  who  was  to  hold  a 
camp  and  quarterly  meeting  near  there.  Here  I 
met,  for  the  first  time,  Eev.  T.  M.  Kirkpatrick,  who 
became  my  colleague  the  next  year,  and  who  has 
been  my  valued  and  dear  friend  ever  since.  It 
was  at  this  meeting,  that  I  made  my  first  mission- 
ary speech,  and  succeeded  in  displeasing  myself 
most  thoroughly. 

At  a  quarterly  meeting,  held  by  my  brother, 
three  months  before,  an  incident  had  occurred 


RECOLLECTIONS.  127 

in  the  love-feast,  which  I  have  always  enjoyed 
repeating: 

The  country  west  of  Mt.  Pleasfint,  between  the 
head  of  Skunk  and  the  Des  Moines,  had  been  near- 
ly all  taken  that  spring  by  new  settlers.  My 
brother  had  visited  them  and  had  preached,  and 
had  organized  them  into  a  large  class.  He  ar- 
ranged to  hold  the  quarterly  meeting  early  in  June, 
in  this  neighborhood.  A  large  log-house,  in  pro- 
cess of  erection,  with  roof,  and  floor  and  openings 
cut  for  the  windows  and  doors,  was  utilized  for  the 
Sunday  morning  service  and  love-feast.  The  at- 
tendance was  large.  The  first  one  to  speak  in  the 
love-feast,  was  a  brother  who  rose  and  said: 
"Brethren,  I  am  glad  to  enjoy  this  occasion.  Some 
months  since,  I  left  my  Eastern  home,  and  all  my 
associates  to  come  to  the  west.  I  have  been  much 
disappointed.  My  family  have  been  sick,  and  I 
have  been  sad  and  lonesome;  but  I  want  to  get  to 
Heaven,  and  hope  you'll  all  pray  for  me." 

Another  rose  and  told  about  the  same  doleful 
tale,  adding  that  one  of  his  children  had  died,  and 
he  felt  despondent  and  discouraged,  and  hoped  the 
brethren  would  pray  for  him.  This  brother  had 
scarcely  taken  his  seat,  when  a  third,  his  face 
beaming  'with  joy,  sprang  to  his  feet,  saying: 
"Glory  to  God!  Brethren,  I'm  just  about  as  hap- 
py this  beautiful  morning,  as  I  can  be !  Six  months 
ago  I  was  living  in  Ohio,  on  a  nice  little  farm,  with 
my  wife  and  two  children.  God  called  me  to  sell 
out  and  come  to  this  country,  and  do  something  for 
Him  and  the  Methodist  church.  I  was  not  called 


128  RECOLLECTIONS. 

to  preach,  but  as  a  layman  to,  come  and  do  what  I 
could  for  the  upbuilding  of  the  cause  of  God.  I 
advertised  my  place  for  sale,  and  in  two  weeks  sold 
it  for  the  money  I  asked.  Bought  my  teams, 
arranged  all  my  matters,  and,  by  spring,  was  ready 
to  start.  By  Saturday  night  everything  was  packed 
in  the  wagons,  and  we  spent  the  Sunday  with  our 
friends  and  brethren  in  worshipping  God  together. 
We  had  a  glorious  time  and  promised  each 
other  to  be  faithful  unto  death,  and  meet  in 
Heaven,  if  we  should  not  meet  again  on  earth. 
Monday  morning  we  started,  drove  on  until 
Saturday  night,  then  found  ourselves  in  a  religious 
community,  attended  preaching  and  class  meeting, 
and  had  a  glorious  day.  Monday  we  went  on,  and 
drove  until  Saturday  night;  locked  the  wheels 
again,  and  had  another  grand,  good  Sabbath.  Off 
on  Monday,  and  before  Saturday  night  we  reached 
this  neighborhood,  and  found  just  as  good  a  claim 
as  I  could  ask;  and  from  the  time  of  starting  un- 
til now,  there  has  not  a  name-string,  buckle  or 
tongue,  failed  me.  And,  brethren,  we  had  our 
family  altar  all  the  way,  and  I  am  just  as  happy  as 
I  can  be  in  the  body.  Glory  to  God!" 

This  was  too  bright  a  light  not  to  show  some 
others  their  delinquencies ;  and  this  joyful  brother 
had  hardly  concluded,  when  the  first  speaker  rose 
up  and,  with  tears  and  in  penitence,  said: 

"Brethren,  I  see  it!  I  see  it!  I  traveled  on 
Sunday;  I  am  sorry  for  it,  and  hope  God  will  for- 
give me." 

Then  number  two  stood  up  and  said,  "I  traveled 


RECOLLECTIONS.  129 

on  Sunday,  too,  and  I  think  I  have  been  afflicted 
for  it.  I  hope  God  and  the  brethren  will  forgive 
me." 

These  confessions  had  a  quickening  effect,  and 
that  meeting  was  not  soon  forgotten. 

We  returned  home  for  a  few  days,  where  we 
found  all  well ;  then  we  took  a  conveyance  and  with 
our  wives,  iny  brother  and  I  started  for  Jackson- 
ville, the  seat  of  the  conference. 


130  RECOLLECTIONS. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

CONFERENCE  met,  September  27th,  1837. 
S-^  Bishop  Soule  presiding.  The  attendance 
numbered  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight  members. 
Their  field  embraced  the  States  of  Illinois,  Wis- 
consin, Iowa  and  Minnesota  with  the  upper  penin- 
sula of  Michigan.  The  sessions  were  held  in  the 
basement  of  the  First  Jacksonville  M.  E.  church. 
The  audience  room  being  occupied  at  the  same 
time  by  preaching  services,  and  the  speakers  being 
the  most  prominent  men  of  the  conference. 

The  gatherings  at  all  these  meetings  were  large 
and  elicited  much  interest  and  enthusiasm.  The 
delightful  memories  of  that  conference  occasion, 
are  only  marred  by  my  recollections  of  grief  and 
shame  for  the  folly  and  wickedness  of  Simon 
Peter,  who  up  to  this  time  had  been  regarded  as 
an  honored  member  of  our  body.  His  very  im- 
proper and  unbecoming  conduct  towards  the  wife 
of  the  man  at  whose  house  he  was  being  enter- 
tained, produced  so  much  indignation  that  a  mob 
of  many  hundreds  surrounded  the  church,  await- 
ing the  action  of  the  conference  in  his  case.  He 
was  expelled  from  the  ministry  and  membership 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


liECOLLECTIONS.  131 

In  those  clays,  the  appointments  were  kept  pro- 
foundly secret,  and  we  juniors  waited  with  the  most 
intense  interest  to  enjoy  the  excitement  of  their  an- 
nouncement. Having  obtained  the  plan  of  the  whole 
work  from  some  accommodating  elder,  we  sat  with 
sharpened  pencil,  to  write  the  names  as  they  were 
read;  and  when  that  of  Chauncey  Hobart  was 
reached,  it  was  for  Knoxville  circuit,  with  T.  M. 
Kirkpatrick  as  colleague.  This  brought  me  into 
the  same  district,  and  with  the  same  presiding 
elder  as  the  year  before.  We  reached  home  after 
a  nine  days'  session,  and  were  soon  en  route  for 
our  appointments.  My  brother  Truman,  took  a 
four-horse  team,  and  our  two  families,  and  left 
myself  and  wife  at  Monmouth,  one  of  my  preach- 
ing places,  and  my  brother  Norris  and  wife,  at 
Rockingham,  where  he  succeeded  me. 

Knoxville  circuit,  the  field  of  labor  assigned  to 
Bro.  Kirkpatrick  and  myself,  was,  as  we  traveled 
it,  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  circumference, 
including  Knox,  Warren  and  part  of  Fulton  coun- 
ties. Our  first  work  was  to  find  a  house  in  which 
to  live.  This,  too,  was  part  of  the  preachers  busi- 
ness, as  the  stewards  had  done  nothing  towards 
procuring  a  house;  and,  indeed,  felt  under  no  ob- 
ligation to  do  so.  The  only  available  shelter  was 
an  unfinished  log  cabin,  sixteen  feet  square,  half  a 
mile  east  of  Pierce's  grove.  Ii  was  half  floored  with 
puncheons  and  the  chimney,  half  built.  This  was 
the  best  we  could  find;  and  we,  Bro.  Kirkpatrick, 
wife  and  three  children,  and  myself  and  wife,  moved 
into  it.  The  neighbors  turned  out  and  assisted  in 


132  RECOLLECTIONS. 

finishing  the  floor  and  chimney ;  covered  a  log  pen 
with  hay  for  a  stable,  and  we  were  settled  for  the 
year.  This  work  was  a  four  weeks'  circuit,  with 
twenty -four  appointments,  which  we  soon  increased 
to  twenty-eight. 

We  usually  left  home  on  Saturday,  Bro.  K. 
going  west,  and  I,  east;  each  returning  after  being 
absent  two  Sundays.  We  remained  at  home  iintil 
Saturday  again,  when  each  started  in  the  opposite 
direction,  Bro.  K.  going  east,  and  I,  west.  So  we 
continued  through  the  year. 

As  a  sample  of  our  alternated  circuit  work  take 
the  following: 

On  the  Tuesday  of  our  first  round,  I  preached  at 
Long's  and  Bro.  K.  at  Well's.  The  day  was  bright 
and  warm  and  we  each  had  a  "good  time,"  and  the 
people  at  each  of  these  appointments  were  well 
pleased  with  their  new  preacher.  Two  weeks 
later  I  was  at  Well's  and  Bro.  K.  at  Long's.  The 
day  was  dark  and  stormy  and  but  few  out,  and  the 
preachers  had  each  a  "dry  time."  And,  what  was 
a  little  singular,  these  fair  and  foul  Tuesdays 
alternated  just  two  weeks  apart  for  the  next  six 
months.  As  a  consequence,  Bro.  K.  always  had  a 
good  congregation  at  Well's  and  was  very  popular 
and  successful,  wrhile  I  at  that  place  was  consid- 
ered but  a  "dry  stick."  At  Long's  I  always  had  a 
good  congregation  and  a  successful  time,  while 
Bro.  K.  was  considered  dull  and  prosy.  This  was 
the  occasion  of  much  pleasantry  between  us,  and 
a  kindly  strife  as  to  who,  at  these  two  points, 
should  take  in  the  greatest  number  of  members 


BECOLLECTIONS.  133 

during  the  year.  For  six  months  Bro.  K.  was 
ahead,  of  me,  thirty-five  to  my  twenty-six,  but  dur- 
ing the  last  half  of  the  year  I  began  to  gain  on 
him,  and,  after  a  two  days'  meeting  held  at  Abing- 
don,  attended  by  the  Long's  people,  about  the 
close  of  the  year,  we  stood  for  those  two  points, 
respectively:  Kirkpatrick,  forty-three;  Hobart, 
forty-seven.  This  was  the  only  year  in  which  I 
had  a  colleague.  And  no  two  men  could  have 
labored  together  more  harmoniously  than  did  we. 
It  was  to  each  of  us,  notwithstanding  much  toil 
and  hardship,  a  year  of  great  enjoyment  and 
blessing. 

The  watchnight-meeting,  held  at  Elliston,  was  a 
memorable  one.  After  a  prayer  meeting  of  an 
hour  and  a  half,  I  requested  Bro.  Kirkpatrick  to 
preach  without  any  previous  exercises,  which  he 
did.  I  had  asked  him  to  speak  for  about  thirty 
minutes.  But  he  had  only  been  talking  about 
fifteen  minutes,  when  there  came  over  him  such  a 
wave  of  power  that  he  lost  his  strength,  and  fell  to 
the  floor;  while  the  joyful  shouts  of  the  Christians 
and  the  cries  of  the  penitent,  filled  the  house. 
After  this  occurrence  which  did  not,  in  the  least, 
interrupt  the  exercises,  the  interest  and  power  of 
the  meeting  increased,  sensibly.  Another  sermon 
was  preached,  followed  by  a  continuation  of  the 
prayer  meeting;  then  an  hour  of  testimony,  when 
at  11:55  p.  M.,  on  our  knees,  in  solemn,  silent, 
prayerful  consecration  to  God,  we  closed  the  year 
1837,  and  entered  upon  1838.  At  this  meeting, 


134  RECOLLECTIONS. 

several  were  converted,  and  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  was  manifestly  present. 

About  the  middle  of  January,  on  my  way  to  my 
appointment,  I  had  to  cross  Haw  creek.  Snow 
and  cold  weather  had  been  followed  by  a  thaw  and 
heavy  rains,  and  I  found  the  creek  to  be  two  hun- 
dred feet  wide,  twenty-five  feet  deep  and  the  water 
rushing  with  a  swift  current.  How  to  get  across 
was  the  question.  I  must  do  it,  or  miss  my  ap- 
pointment. 

After  some  thought  and  a  prayer  for  guidance,  I 
determined  to  swim  across,  or,  at  least,  attempt  it. 
Placing  my  saddle-bags  on  my  shoulder,  I  rode  in. 
My  mare  took  the  water  well,  and  swam  about  half 
way  over,  when  she  either  caught  her  foot  in  the 
girth,  or  in  some  other  way  became  entangled,  and 
sank.  I  remained  in  my  seat  until  the  water  came 
up  to  my  arms  and  floated  me  off.  Seeing  I  must 
swim,  I  put  my  hand  against  my  horse's  head, 
pushed  her  away  as  far  as  possible,  then  struck  out 
for  the  opposite  shore.  After  I  had  almost  gained 
the  shore,  I  looked  back  and  saw  that  my  mare 
had  risen  and  was  swimming  back.  So  I,  too, 
turned  and  swam  after  her.  On  reaching  dry  land 
I  found  that  my  saddle  and  saddle-bags  were  left 
in  the  creek.  Finding  herself  free,  she  had 
started  back  on  a  run ;  and  I,  dripping  wet,  with 
overcoat  and  leggings  on,  and  my  whip  still  in  my 
hand,  started  in  pursuit  of  my  saddle  and  saddle- 
bags. The  latter  I  soon  discovered  lodged  on  a 
bush,  and  they  were  secured  by  wading  out  into 
water  about  four  feet  deep.  My  Bible,  hymn  book,  a 


RECOLLECTIONS.  135 

volume  of  Dick's  works,  and  one  volume  of  Rollin's 
Ancient  History,  I  found  badly  damaged,  and 
spread  them  out  in  the  sun  to  dry.  My  saddle  I 
saw  about  forty  rods  below,  caught  on  a  limb, 
where  the  water  was  twenty  feet  deep.  By  the 
assistance  of  two  long  willow  sprouts,  twisted  to- 
gether securely,  I  managed  to  disengage  the  saddle, 
which  was  twenty  feet  from  shore,  but  only  to  see 
it  sink  again  beyond  recovery. 

Starting  back  on  foot,  I  was  gladdened  by  the 
sight  of  my  horse,  returning  at  the  top  of  her 
speed,  and  mounted  by  a  young  man  who  had 
caught  her,  and  had  come  to  see  whether  I  was 
drowned.  Keturning  home  with  him  I  dried  my 
clothes  a  little,  ate  some  dinner,  and  by  a  circuit- 
ous route,  found  a  ford  and  crossed  the  creek.  I 
reached  the  place  of  preaching  about  five  p.  M.,  but 
too  late,  as  the  hour  of  meeting  was  eleven  A.  M. 
This  I  greatly  regretted.  It  was  almost  the  only 
time  I  ever  missed  my  appointment.  My  saddle 
was  afterwards  found  by  a  brother,  whom  I  had 
asked  to  get  it  when  the  water  subsided;  and  I  ob- 
tained it  in  about  four  weeks,  on  my  next  round, 
it  being  badly  damaged. 

The  third  quarterly  meeting  was  held  at  the 
camp-meeting,  at  the  head  of  Elliston,  in  June. 
This  was  considered  an  unfavorable  time;  but  our 
meeting  was  a  grand  success,  forty-five  being  con- 
verted. 

Such  was  the  state  of  religious  feeling  on  the 
circuit,  that  another  camp-meeting  was  arranged 
for  in  the  middle  of  July,  to  be  held  at  Pierce's 


136  RECOLLECTIONS. 

grove,  one  mile  west  of  where  we  lived,  now  Ber- 
wick. As  neither  Bro.  K.  nor  myself  were  yet 
ordained,  and  the  elder  could  not  be  with  us,  we 
secured  the  services  of  Rev.  James  Haney.  This 
good  brother,  the  father  of  Revs.  Richard,  William, 
Freeborn  and  Milton  Haney,  of  Central  Illinois 
conference,  was  a  royal  man  and  an  excellent 
preacher.  His  wife,  Aunt  Mary,  one  of  the  noblest 
Christian  women,  was  also  with  us,  a  leader  and 
a  mother  in  Israel.  This  meeting  was  produc- 
tive of  many  blessed  results,  and  among  them 
the  conversion  of  Frank  Snapp,  which  event  was 
prefaced  by  some  very  solemn  admonitions  to  him. 
About  a  week  before  camp-meeting,  as  he  was 
plowing  corn,  a  dark  thunder-cloud  came  up, 
which  drove  him  to  seek  the  house.  On  reaching 
his  door,  he  barely  had  time  to  snatch  the  bridle 
from  his  horse,  when  a  flash  of  lightning  struck 
the  animal,  killing  him  instantly.  About  five  days 
after,  in  the  house  of  his  neighbor  Carr,  five  chil- 
dren were  playing  together  on  the  porch,  when 
another  thunder  storm  came  up  as  suddenly. 
Three  of  the  children  were  killed  by  the  lightning, 
and  the  others  paralyzed. 

These  sad  occurrences  made  Frank  unusually 
thoughtful.  He  belonged  to  a  brave,  frank,  ener- 
getic, wicked  family  of  five  or  six  brothers,  who 
scorned  to  do  what  they  thought  a  mean  thing;  but 
fighting  and  swearing  were  considered  honorable, 
when  occasion  required  it,  according  to  their 
standard  of  morals. 

But  to  return  to  our  story.      Frank  was  at  the 


RECOLLECTIONS.  137 

camp-meeting.  The  first  sermon  preached  there 
was  on  the  occasion  of  the  funeral  of  the  three 
children,  killed  two  days  before.  From  the  very 
beginning  a  solemn  seriousness  rested  on  all  who 
gathered  at  that  meeting.  Among  the  mourners, 
indeed  the  very  first  to  come  forward  to  the  altar, 
was  Frank  Snapp.  The  struggle  to  believe  was 
with  him  a  hard  one.  The  devil  did  not  willingly 
relinquish  his  hold  on  so  good  a  subject,  and 
Frank  had  much  to  learn.  It  was  difficult  for  him 
even  to  accommodate  his  habits  of  thought,  to  re- 
ligious usages.  But  he  was  determined  to  conquer 
or  die.  His  oft-repeated  prayer,  after  he  had 
exhausted  his  entire  and  not  very  lengthy  vocabu- 
lary of  petitions  was,  "Oh,  Lord;  give  me  just  such 
religion  as  my  wife's  got!" 

Many  were  converted  around  him,  but  he  still 
struggled  and  wrestled  on.  Sunday  was  the  fourth 
day  of  his  great  distress.  That  day,  some  young  men 
had  arranged  to  hold  a  prayer-meeting  in  the  grove. 
Frank  started  to  join  them,  but  quickly  turned 
back,  saying  to  himself,  "God  is  just  as  near  to  me 
in  the  tent.  I'll  seek  him  again  there."  Kneeling 
down  in  that  tent,  where  was  his  wife's  mother,  he 
exclaimed  in  great  seriousness:  "Oh,  my  dear 
mother,  do  pray  for  me.  I  feel  as  if  I  should  die!" 

The  good  mother,  Sister  Morse,  did  pray  for  him, 
and  with  her  were  soon  joined  three  other  elderly 
ladies:  my  own  mother,  Sister  Pierce  and  Sister 
Bay — all  soldiers  of  "the  old  guard,"  whose  faith 
had  achieved  many  a  victory.  Poor  Frank  prayed 
as  well  as  he  could,  with  broken  accents  and  with 

10 


138  RECOLLECTIONS. 

groans  and  tears.  It  was  not  long  before  deliver- 
ance came.  Frank's  chains  fell  off,  and  the  power 
of  God  fell  on  the  people.  And  shouts  of  great 
joy,  such  as  are  not  often  heard  this  side  of  Heaven, 
filled  the  tent  and  spread  far  out  over  the  camp- 
ground. But  neither  tent  nor  camp-ground  could 
hold  Snapp,  until  he  had  told  of  the  mighty  joy 
that  filled  his  soul.  All  round  he  went,  telling 
saint  and  sinner  what  God  had  done  for  him. 

We  had  a  Bro.  Jones  there,  a  joyful,  earnest 
Christian,  who  was  converted  about  a  year  before. 
This  man  had  sought  Christ  in  great  sorrow  for 
an  entire  year — a  long  dark  night.  And  when  he 
found  the  Savior,  his  day  was  as  bright  and  clear 
as  his  night  had  been  dark  and  gloomy.  He  be- 
came one  of  those  Christians  who  knew  he  was 
converted;  a  living  proof  that  Christ  has  power  to 
save  from  sin.  A  short  time  after  he  was  convert- 
ed, his  brother-in-law,  whose  name  was  Mings,  with 
wife  and  three  children  had  come  to  reside  with 
Bro.  Jones,  and  together  they  worked  a  large  farm. 

Mings  had  been  raised  a  "two  seed"  Parkerite. 
He  was  an  anti-missionary,  anti-Sunday  school, 
anti -temperance,  and  anti-nomian  Baptist;  called 
by  outsiders  "a  forty  gallon  Baptist.1'  His  teach- 
ing was  that,  "when  you  found  religion,  you  didn't 
want  it.  When  you  had  it,  you  didn't  know  it. 
If  you  had  it,  you  couldn't  lose  it.  And  if  you 
lost  it,  you  never  had  it."  To  all  this  Bro.  Jones 
could  and  did  every  day  oppose  his  own  joyful  re- 
ligious experience,  insisting  that  there  was  not  a 
word  of  truth  in  such  a  theory.  In  this  condition 


RECOLLECTIONS.  139 

of  mind  both  families  came  to  camp-meeting.  And 
on  Saturday  night,  Mings  and  his  wife  went  for- 
ward for  prayers.  The  mighty  power  of  God  was 
present  to  heal;  and  in  a  short  time,  fifteen  were 
converted,  and  Sister  Mings  among  them.  Bro. 
Jones  had  come  and  kneeling  by  his  brother-in-law, 
continued  praying  by  his  side  for  more  than  three 
hours.  All  the  other  seekers  had  been  converted, 
or  had  retired.  It  was  nearly  midnight;  but,  left 
alone,  these  two  brethren  remained,  and  continued 
in  prayer  and  supplication. 

I  stood  in  the  pulpit  at  some  distance  from  them; 
considering,  as  I  watched  them,  what  was  best  to 
be  done.  Suddenly  I  saw  Bro.  Mings  straighten 
himself  out  on  his  back,  from  a  kneeling  position, 
and  quiver,  and  tremble  a  moment  as  if  in  a 
spasm.  Then  he  instantly  bounded  to  his  feet  and 
began  to  praise  God  and  shout:  "Glory!  Glory! 
Bless  the  Lord!  I'm  converted!  I'm  converted!" 
His  first  rush  was  to  the  tent  where  were  his  wife 
and  little  ones.  Snatching  his  wife  in  his  arms, 
he  exclaimed,  "I'm  converted!  I'm  converted!  I 
know  it!"  and  together  they  praised  Him  through 
whom  they  had  been  redeemed. 

There  were  quite  a  number  to  be  baptized  the 
next  day.  And  I  supposed  that  Bro.  Mings  and 
wife  would  choose  to  be  baptized  by  immersion. 
But  to  my  surprise,  they  both  desired  to  be  bap- 
tized by  sprinkling,  and  to  have  their  children 
also  baptized.  After  the  service  was  all  over  I  sat 
down  by  him  and  said: — 


140  RECOLLECTIONS. 

"Bro  Mings,  how  is  this?  I  expected  you  and 
your  wife  would  be  immersed" 

"Well,"  said  he,  "I  will  tell  you.  You  know  I 
was  brought  up  a  Baptist,  and  taught  that  immer- 
sion alone  was  baptism.  I  was  also  taught  that  no 
man  could  know  when  he  was  converted.  And 
that  a  consciousness  of  acceptance  with  God  was 
impossible.  But  as  I  have  found  that  this  teach- 
ing is  exactly  the  reverse  of  truth,  in  the  two  last 
things,  I  have  concluded  that  they  were  wrong  in 
regard  to  baptism,  and  in  about  everything  else." 

The  ingathering  to  the  church  from  this  camp- 
meeting  was  large. 

On  the  31st  of  July  that  year,  we  were  glad- 
dened at  our  home  by  the  birth  of  a  son,  whom  I 
then  thought,  and  still  think  was  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  babes  I  have  ever  seen.  We  named  him, 
Calvin,  in  memory  of  my  honored  father.  While 
absent  at  Alton,  in  the  September  following  attend- 
ing conference,  this  dearly  loved  baby  boy  died;  lent 
to  us  only  about  seven  weeks.  Of  his  illness  I  had 
not  even  heard,  and  knew  nothing  ef  his  death, 
until  I  reached  home,  and  found  my  wife  in  tears, 
sadness,  and  loneliness.  We  could  only  .  weep 
together,  and  bow  in  submission  to  His  will,  who 
"doeth  all  things  well." 

This  year,  spent  on  Knoxville  circuit,  may  be 
chronicled  as  one  of  hard  work,  poor  pay,  and 
glorious  success:  four  hundred  being  converted 
and  added  to  the  church.  I  will  also  state  that  at 
our  fourth  quarterly  meeting,  which  was  a  camp- 
meeting,  I  raised  over  forty  dollars  to 


KECOLLECTIONS.  141 

help  start  the  "Christian  Apologist",  edited  by  Dr. 
Nast,  and  at  Rushville,  soon  after,  took  up  a  like 
sum,  for  the  same  purpose. 

The  conference  of  1838,  my  second  conference, 
was  held  at  Alton.  Bishop  Soule  presiding,  and 
at  which  I  was  when  my  little  Calvin  died.  Our 
class,  of  nearly  thirty,  was  examined  for  admis- 
sion, and  was  put  through  the  "Flint  Mill,"  which 
was  then  set  to  make  common  flour,  and  not  super- 
fine, otherwise  some  of  us  would  have  been  found 
"wanting."  As  it  was,  we  all  passed  and  were  ad- 
mitted. 

As  the  Bishop  was  not  well  enough  to  speak  on 
Sunday,  it  was  arranged  that  Rev.  Alfred  Brunson 
should  preach  at  10:30  o'clock  A.  M.,  Peter  Cart- 
wright  at  3  o'clock  P.  M.,  and  John  Clarke  at  7. 

In  lucidating  his  text,  "Go  ye  into  all  the 
world,  &c.,"  Bro.  Brunson  was  led  to  speak  of  the 
aggressive  movements  of  the  church,  and  how 
Peter,  Paul,  Polycarp,  Athanasius,  Ambrose,  Au- 
gustine, Luther,  Wesley,  Asbury,  McKendree, 
Roberts,  Finley  and  Brunson  had  led  the  hosts  of 
the  Lord  in  her  great  missionary  movements. 
This  was  well  enough  until  it  came  to  the  last 
illustration,  where  two  trips  up  the  Mississippi 
and  camping  out  a  few  nights,  were  incidentally 
compared  to  the  heroism  of  Paul,  the  martyrdom 
of  Ridley  and  the  life  work  of  Asbury  and  Wesley. 
Somehow  the  enthusiasm  did  not  rise,  especially 
as  there  was  scarcely  a  man  in  the  audience  who 
had  not  himself  endured  much  more  than  this,  in 
the  ordinary  affairs  of  frontier  life.  Indeed  there 


142  EECOLLECTIONS. 

was  not  a  fur  trader  in  the  west,  who  had  not  en- 
countered twenty  times  as  much,  in  securing  a  few 
musk-rat  and  beaver  skins. 

A  treat  was  anticipated  at  3  o'clock  when  Bro. 
Cartwright  was  to  preach,  for  his  renown  was  great. 
But  from  the  very  first  he  wallowed  heavily.  He 
made,  however,  a  manly  effort  to  get  out,  but  in  so 
doing,  went  in  the  deeper.  Then  he  tried  to  re- 
lieve his  embarrassment  by  an  exhortation,  saying 
among  other  things,  as  only  he  could  say  it:  "Oh, 
I  wish  I  had  some  of  you  rascals  in  a  corner,  I'd 
give  you  your  own,  once,  before  the  devil  gets 
you!"  But  even  this  attempt  to  master  the  situa- 
tion did  not  succeed.  The  effort  was  a  failure. 
As  he  left  the  pulpit,  Bro.  Brunson,  who  had  sat 
behind  him,  said: — 

"Bro.  Cartwright,  is  that  a  fair  specimen  of 
your  ordinary  preaching?" 

"Humph!"  said  Cartwright,  "It  was  as  good  as 
yours,  if  it  was  a  failure!" 

On  that  Sabbath,  my  brother  and  I,  with  many 
others,  were  ordained  deacons ;  having  been  elected 
to  that  office  and  admitted  to  full  membership  in 
the  conference. 

Quite  a  sensation  had  been  produced  among  us, 
during  the  week,  by  the  arrival  of  Jason  Lee,  direct 
from  Oregon.  He  came  unheralded,  and  was  in- 
troduced to  the  conference  by  Elder  Brunson.  He 
was  a  modest  man  and  gave  us  an  earnest  but  brief 
outline  of  his  work  in  Oregon;  also  the  reason  of 
his  return,  &c.  He  remained  a  day  or  two,  and 
then  journeyed  on  to  New  York. 


RECOLLECTIONS.  143 

When  the  appointments  were  read,  I  was  intent 
011  writing  down  the  names  of  the  brethren  in  the 
different  districts,  yet  not  particularly  concerned 
as  to  the  places  occupied  by  them,  until  we  came 
to  Bock  Island  district,  in  which  I  expected  my 
work  to  be.  To  nay  astonishment  we  passed 
through  it,  and  my  name  was  not  there.  All  the 
districts  were  read,  until  Quincy  district,  the  last 
on  the  list,  Peter  Akers,  presiding  elder,  was 
reached.  The  charges,  one  after  another  were  an- 
nounced; but  one  or  two1  remained.  Then,  in  a 
tumult  of  excitement,  I  was  ready  to  spring  to  my 
feet,  and  inquire,  if  I  had  not  been  forgotten,  my 
name  omitted.  But  I  did,  somehow  hold  still,  un- 
til the  long  list  was  ended,  and  the  very  last  one, 
"Macomb  circuit,  Chauncey  Hobart,"  was  distinctly 
uttered.  I  assure  my  friends  I  was  very  glad  to 
get  an  appointment,  even  though  it  were  the  very 
last  one. 


144  RECOLLECTIONS. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

TN  a  few  days  we  had  reached  Macoinb,  the  coun- 
ty  seat  of    MacDonough   county,   twenty-five 
miles  from  our  old  home. 

I  found  my  work  to  consist  of  what  had  been  the 
Macomb  station,  and  a  part  of  the  Carthage  circuit, 
with  fourteen  appointments  to  be  filled  in  two 
weeks.  Macomb  and  La  Harpe  were  the  two  Sab- 
bath points,  and  by  preaching  at  two  other  places 
also  on  Sabbath,  I  gained  two  days  of  rest,  and 
could  be  at  home  two  days  and  six  nights  out  of  the 
fourteen.  Bro.  Warner  Oliver  was  on  the  Carthage 
circuit,  and  as  he  and  I  were  in  adjoining  neigh- 
borhoods every  two  weeks,  we  soon  arranged  to 
meet  at  a  point  between  these,  preach  alternately 
and  spend  the  night  together.  This  was  mutually 
agreeable  and  beneficial.  Bro.  Oliver  and  I  had 
been  acquainted  from  boyhood.  We  were  licensed 
by  the  quarterly  conference  of  the  same  circuit;  I 
at  his  father's  house,  and  he,  six  months  after, 
at  my  house.  We  had  been  recommended 
and  received  into  conference  at  the  same  time, 
and  were  warmly  attached  to  each  other.  Bro. 
Oliver  was  a  very  successful  and  talented  young 
man. 


KECOLLECTIONS.  145 

At  La  Harpe  there  was  a  class  of  sixty,  but  reli- 
gion there  was  at  a  very  low  ebb.  A  Unitarian, 
a  merchant  from  New  Hampshire,  had  been  sow- 
ing some  bad  seed  in  that  place,  which,  unfor- 
tunately, took  root. 

I  had  been  preaching  here  but  a  few  weeks  when 
I  was  informed  by  one  of  the  stewards,  that  "the 
people  were  much  pleased  with  their  preacher"  and 
he  thought  I  could  do  them  good  if  I  "would 
preach  on  practical  religion;"  but  I  had  "better 
not  touch  anything  doctrinal,  such  as  the  'Divinity 
of  Christ,'  'depravity'  and  'regeneration;'  that  the 
people  were  too  enlightened  to  believe  what  the 
old  creeds  taught  on  these  subjects."  I  told  him  as 
politely  as  I  could,  that  I  had  been  sent  there  to 
preach  God's  word,  and  that  I  should  preach  what 
the  Bible  taught  on  these  and  all  other  subjects, 
according  to  the  best  light  I  had. 

Shortly  after  this,  when  preaching  there,  on  the 
"Divinity  of  Christ,"  I  observed  my  little  merchant, 
twitching  and  squirming  around,  as  if  sitting  on 
hot  bricks,  his  nervousness  increasing  as  the  argu- 
ment progressed.  At  last,  when  I  had  proved  that 
the  Jehovah  of  the  Old  Testament  was  the  Christ 
of  the  New,  he  could  stand  it  no  longer.  Jumping 
from  his  seat,  he  caught  his  hat  and  ran  out  of  the 
house.  I  was  told  afterwards  that  he  vented  his 
displeasure  by  violently  abusing  the  preacher. 

To  help  matters,  my  second  quarterly  meeting 
was  to  be  held  at  La  Harpe,  and  I  was  careful  to 
inform  my  presiding  elder,  Dr.  Akers,  of  the  con- 
dition of  things.  This  opened  the  way  for  one  of 


146  RECOLLECTIONS. 

the  most  masterly  discourses  on  "Divinity,"  that  I 
have  ever  heard,  even  by  our  grand  Dr.  Akers. 

These  efforts  did  not,  so  far  as  I  know,  convince 
or  reclaim  those  who  had  already  committed  them- 
selves to  Unitarianism.  But  the  doubts  of  others 
were  removed,  and  the  majority  were  strengthened 
in  faith,  and  some,  saved.  Those  who  still  willing- 
ly adhered  to  their  errors,  were  the  next  spring  cap- 
tured by  a  loquacious  "saint,"  and  swept  into  the 
seething  maelstrom  of  Mormonism.  So  proving 
how  short  and  steep  is  the  descent  from  scriptural 
orthodoxy  to  the  devil. 

As  at  this  time  my  presiding  elder  could  spend 
two  Sabbaths  with  me,  we  arranged  to  have  him 
preach  at  four  of  my  week  day  points,  and  then 
hold  a  two  days'  meeting  at  Macomb.  I  had  also 
secured  the  assistance  of  my  brother  and  Bro. 
Oliver.  We  began  the  meeting  on  Saturday  at  11 
o'clock  A.  M.,  and  during  the  two  days,  six  as 
eloquent  sermons  for  point,  power  and  appropriate- 
ness, were  given  as  it  has  been  my  privilege  to 
listen  to,  consecutively. 

Dr.  Akers  on  Sabbath  preached  from  Eph.  III. 
14-21.  To  say  that  he  exceeded  himself  would  be 
saying  very  much  to  those  who  knew  him  in  the 
days  of  his  strength;  for  his  were  the  utterances  of 
a  master  mind,  a  cultured  brain ,  and  an  humble 
heart.  I  have  listened  to  him  often,  always  with 
profit  and  pleasure,  yet  I  think  I  never  heard  him 
quite  equal  that  sermon.  He  dwelt  upon  the 
foundation  of  our  religion — God's  love.  Upon  its 
rich  and  royal  experiences;  on  its  hopes  and 


RECOLLECTIONS.  147 

boundless  prospects;  then  he  swept,  as  with  an 
archangel's  wing,  the  very  highest  heaven,  and 
lifted  us  up  amid  the  bursting  raptures  of  the 
noon  tide  of  glory;  and  left  us  with  our  hearts 
melted  into  tenderness  and  reverent  love,  and  our 
poor  faces  bathed  in  tears. 

At  the  close  of  the  third  quarter  after  a  two 
days'  meeting  of  great  power,  resulting  in  the  con- 
version of  about  forty,  and  good  prospect  of  a 
still  greater  harvest  being  soon  gathered,  I  was 
taken  down  with  bilious  fever.  It  had  been  a  sick- 
ly season  throughout  that  part  of  Illinois.  Many 
had  died,  and  in  Macomb,  a  town  of  eight  hundred, 
thirty-eight  heads  of  families  and  many  young 
people  had  been  buried.  In  my  case,  the  fever 
ran  for  twenty-four  days,  and  left  me  so  reduced 
that  I  could  not  move  nor  raise  my  hand  for 
thirty-six  hours.  My  good  wife  and  my  mother, 
who  had  hastened  from  Schuyler,  nursed  me 
tenderly,  and  a  skillful  Dr.  Thompson,  prescribed 
for  me.  But  an  excellent  constitution,  which  I  had 
inherited  from  my  temperate  godly  parents,  with 
the  blessing  of  God,  enabled  me  to  recover  from 
what  had  seemed,  for  a  time,  certain  death.  This 
severe  illness,  which  laid  me  aside  from  the  work 
that  needed  my  care  so  much,  brought  with  it  to 
me,  a  very  blessed  experience. 

When  I  was  converted,  I  had  greatly  desired  to 
be  overwhelmingly  blessed.  But  instead,  I  had 
found  sweet,  calm  peace.  This  I  thankfully  ac- 
cepted, yet  had  not  ceased  to  pray  for  such  a 
blessing  as  might  lift  me  up  where,  in  spirit,  I 


148  RECOLLECTIONS. 

might  see  God.  I  longed  for  sanctification,  as 
taught  by  the  Fathers.  This  desire  had  been  in- 
tensified by  reading  Wesley,  Fletcher,  Bramwell, 
S  toner  and  others;  until  the  constant  cry  of  my 
heart  had,  been  "Oh,  for  the  fullness  of  the  blessing 
of  the  Gospel  of  Christ!"  During  my  illness  and 
until  after  the  crisis,  my  faith  had  been  unwaver- 
ing; calmness  and  peace  had  filled  my  soul,  dur- 
ing all  my  conscious  hours.  As  I  began  slowly  to 
recover,  my  desire  and  longing  for  a  pure  heart, 
returned. 

About  three  o'clock  one  morning — while  all  in 
the  house  except  myself  were  asleep — I  was  en- 
gaged in  thanksgivings  to  God  for  his  loving  kind- 
ness and  mercy  in  thus  restoring  me  to  prospec- 
tive health,  and  to  my  work.  I  was  also  rejoicing 
in  the  assurance  that,  had  I  been  called  hence, 
it  would  have  been  to  be  forever  with  my  Lord. 
Then,  all  at  once,  I  began  to  feel  that  I  could  adopt 
the  language  of  Paul  and  say,  "whether  in  the  body 
or  out  of  the  body,  I  know  not;  God  knoweth." 

A  mighty  blessing  had  come.  It  came  in  un- 
utterable fullness,  like  the  vast  tide  of  a  mighty 
ocean,  filling  and  thrilling  my  soul  with  the 
conscious  presence  of  the  Lord  of  life  and  glory. 
I  seemed  to  be  lifted  up  above  earth  and  earthly 
things,  until  I  was  near  to  the  land  of  life.  Sun, 
moon  and  stars,  seemed  under  my  feet,  the  glory 
and  effulgence  of  eternal  bliss  were  all  around  me. 
To  the  praise  of  God's  grace,  I  acknowledge  that  I 
had  not  the  least  idea  before  that  it  was  possible 
for  a  soul  in  the  body  to  be  so  ecstatically  happy, 


EECOLLECTIONS.  149 

as  I  then  was.  I  remained  in  this  blissful  state 
about  two  hours,  when  I  returned  to  earth  again — 
but  not  as  I  went.  My  experience  was  far  deeper 
and  richer  and  sweeter  than  before.  Like  the 
food  brought  by  the  ravens  to  the  prophet,  so  that 
great  baptism  of  love  and  power  has  not  only 
lasted  me  forty  days  but  over  forty  years,  and  it 
grows  clearer  and  steadier  as  I  behold,  not  far  off, 
the  spires  of  the  Celestial  City. 

Since  that  blessed  morning,  amid  the  lights  and 
shades  and  sorrows  of  ordinary  life,  and  the  toils 
and  trials  of  an  itinerant,  I  have  never  doubted 
the  genuineness  of  my  conversion,  nor  the  power 
of  Christ  to  save  to  the  uttermost. 

The  harvest,  of  souls  saved  through  the  power 
of  God's  word,  which  I  had  hoped  to  .gather,  on 
Macomb  circuit,  was  garnered,  the  next  year, 
by  my  successor,  Rev.  Edward  Troy,  whose  labors 
were  blessed  with  the  conversion  of  between  three 
and  four  hundred.  "One  soweth  and  another 
reapeth." 

As  soon  as  my  strength  would  permit,  my 
brother  Truman  came  and  brought  us  down  to  the 
old  home.  Here  I  was  soon  joined  by  my  brother 
Norris — who  had  been  shaking  with  the  ague,  on 
Rock  Island  circuit — that  we  might  recuperate  to- 
gether. After  a  rustication  of  about  four  weeks, 
I  was  able,  though  still  quite  weak,  to  start  for 
conference,  which  my  brother  was  not  well  enough 
to  do.  This  was  done  at  the  urgent  request  of 
W.  H.  Taylor,  who  hired  a  conveyance  and 
promised  my  wife  and  mother,  about  as  solemnly 


150  RECOLLECTIONS. 

as  Judah  promised  Jacob  to  bring  back  Benjamin 
safely  from  Egypt,  that  he  would  bring  me 
back  from  conference,  without  harm. 

Conference  met  at  Bloomington,  McLean 
county,  one  hundred  miles  from  Schuyler.  We 
found  kind  friends  along  the  route,  who  took 
special  care  for  my  comfort,  and  I  reached  the  seat 
of  conference,  in  improved  health,  on  Monday  af- 
ternoon, September  1839.  The  conference  opened 
on  Wednesday,  Bishop  Morris  presiding. 

There  were  some  changes  made  this  year.  B. 
T.  Kavanaugh  succeeded  Rev.  A.  Brunson  in  the 
Indian  mission;  J.  T.  Mitchell  was  sent  to  the 
Chicago  district,  and  Hooper  Crews  to  the  Chicago 
station.  These  unexpected  changes  were  made  for 
reasons  then  deemed  best,  as  there  was,  at  that 
time,  an  under  current  of  dissatisfaction  in  the 
manner  of  managing  affairs  at  the  north,  that 
came  very  near  assuming  serious  proportions. 

At  this  time  my  own  heart,  as  well  as  that  of 
many  others,  was  made  sad  by  tidings  of  the 
death  of  Rev.  Peter  R.  Borein,  who  had  died  in 
Chicago,  a  few  days  before.  To  assert  that  we 
had  no  man  in  the  conference  who  was  his  equal 
in  fervor,  zeal,  pathos  and  boundless  sympathy,  is 
saying  but  little  of  him. 

In  person,  Peter  R.  Borein  was  under  medium 
height,  and  somewhat  portly  in  build.  His  dark 
brown  hair,  clear  blue  eyes,  arching  eyebrows  and 
fair  complexion,  only  served  to  add  attractiveness 
to  the  contour  of  a  fine  Grecian  face.  His  voice 
was  as  musical  as  we  may  suppose  the  harp  of 


RECOLLECTIONS.  151 

^Eolus  to  have  been.  Added  to  these  exterior 
graces,  was  a  heart,  purified  by  the  atoning  blood; 
moved  by  inteiisest  love  for  a  suffering  race,  in 
guilt  and  danger;  and  an  abiding  consciousness  of 
the  boundless  tenderness  and  inercy  and  power  of 
Christ  to  save  to  the  uttermost.  What  wonder 
that  his  appeals  to  the  impenitent  were  more  like 
the  admonitions  of  a  lost  soul,  regretfully  tossing 
on  the  billows  of  wrath,  than  like  the  expostula- 
tions of  a  fellow  sinner!  His  invitations  to  come 
to  Christ  seemed  to  partake  of  the  very  sweetness 
of  Heaven.  Had  he  lived  he  would  have  had  a 
national  reputation.  And  it  is  but  just  to  say  that 
much  of  the  strong-hold  which  Methodism  to-day 
has  in  Chicago,  is  more  attributable  to  the  faith, 
zeal,  purity  and  power  of  Peter  R.  Borein  than  to 
that  of  any  other  single  individual  or  human 
agency.  But  seven  years  of  itinerant  life  com- 
pleted his  work  on  earth. 

At  this  conference  of  1839,  delegates  were  elected 
to  general  conference.  They  were  Revs.  Cart- 
wright,  Akers,  Holliday  and  John  Clarke.  As  C. 
Holliday  was  unable  to  go,  J.  T.  Mitchell  filled  his 
place. 

This  year,  greatly  to. my  astonishment,  I  was 
sent  to  Quincy  station.  And  it  appeared  to  me 
that  "some  one  had  blundered;"  for  I  could  see  a 
hundred  reasons  why  I  should  not  go,  and  not  one 
good  one  why  I  should  be  sent  there. 


152 


RECOLLECTIONS. 


CHAPTEK  XV. 

was  the  county  seat  of  Adams  county, 
and  was  one  of  the  only  eight  stations  in  the 
conference.  However,  go  I  must,  and  go  I  did. 

On  my  way  there  I  attended  a  camp-meeting  at 
the  Wesley  chapel,  seven  miles  from  Quincy. 
Here  I  met  Bishop  Morris,  going  to  hold  the  Mis- 
souri conference,  and  I  told  him  my  doubts  and 
fears.  The  good  bishop  tried  to  encourage  me,  as 
did  also  my  presiding  elder,  Dr.  Akers,  with  many 
kind,  assuring  words.  But  still  I  went  to  my 
work  with  much  fear  and  trembling.  On  my 
arrival  in  the  city  I  was  warmly  welcomed  by  the 
brethren.  A  house  was  found,  and  we  were  soon 
ready  for  work. 

During  the  pastorate  of  Bro.  Borein,  two  years 
previous,  the  church  had  been  greatly  increased  in 
membership,  and  they  had  undertaken  to  build  a 
large  brick  edifice.  In  this  enterprise  they  would 
doubtless  have  succeeded,  but  for  the  financial 
crash  of  1837.  But  this  overtook  them  with  the 
church  partly  completed,  and  a  debt  of  over  four 
thousand  dollars.  This  burden  had  been  carried 
by  a  membership  of  eighty -two,  not  a  wealthy  man 
among  them,  and  many  were  much  discouraged. 


RECOLLECTIONS.  153 

But  from  the  beginning  of  the  year  there  were 
indications  of  prosperity. 

The  church  was  in  harmony,  and  there  were  not 
wanting  a  few  Hannahs  and  a  Caleb,  and  a  Hur  or 
two,  who  knew  well  what  to  do  in  the  day  of  battle. 
And  it  was  not  long  before  there  was  "a  sound  of 
going  in  the  tops  of  the  mulberry  trees."  Clear 
indications  of  a  revival  were  apparent. 

The  first  one  who  was  converted  was  Miss  Ral- 
ston, the  sister  of  T.  N.  Ralston  who  had  taken  me 
into  the  church.  This  young  lady  had  been  under 
conviction,  and  in  great  distress  of  mind  for  some 
weeks  and  had  tried  in  vain  to  hide  her  emotion. 
Immediately  at  the  close  of  the  sermon,  one  Sun- 
day morning,  a  good  Sister  Ballou  observing  that 
her  countenance  had  assumed  a  glad  and  joyful 
look,  asked  her  how  she  felt. 

"Oh,"  replied  she  in  a  whisper,  "I'm  just  as  hap- 
py as  I  can  live." 

This  was  the  beginning  of  a  protracted  meeting, 
and  without  help  I  held  it  for  two  weeks,  preach- 
ing every  night  and  twice  on  Sundays,  beside  labor- 
ing at  the  altar  until  10  o'clock  or  later,  each  even- 
ing. The  brethren,  seeing  that  I  was  becoming 
worn,  sent  to  help  me,  Rev.  Harvey  Brown,  a 
superannuated  member  of  the  New  York  confer- 
ence, a  wise  and  earnest  man.  He  remained  with 
us  a  week  and  assisted  us  much.  Another  week  of 
effort  alone,  and  we  brought  the  protracted  meet- 
ing to  a  close — with  one  hundred  conversions  and 
accessions  to  the  church  —thus  more  than  doubling 
our  membership  in  the  first  four  months. 

u 


154  RECOLLECTIONS. 

Among  the  many  things  of  interest  which  oc- 
curred during  this  revival,  I  will  mention  the  case 
of  a  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Clowse,  whose  wife 
was  a  member  of  the  church.  He  had  been  a  regu- 
lar attendant  and  would  pray  when  called  on,  and 
seemed  to  be  an  earnest  seeker  of  salvation ;  but 
he  was  always  in  deep  sadness  and  almost  in  des- 
pair. Great  solicitude  was  felt  for  him  by  the 
church,  and  prayer  was  offered  up,  continually,  on 
his  behalf.  When  he  was  invited  to  come  to  the 
mourner's  bench,  he  replied  that  he  had  been  there 
many  times  and  found  no  relief. 

This  I  learned  had  been  his  state  for  some 
months  before  I  came.  No  one  had  seen  him  smile 
for,  perhaps,  a  year,  and  he  obtained  no  relief  un- 
til on  New  Year's  morning,  1840.  When  just  as  the 
sun  rose,  he  rapped  at  my  door,  and  without  waiting 
for  a  response,  came  in,  radiant  with  joy,  one  of  the 
happiest  of  men.  When  asked  about  this  great 
change,  he  answered  nearly  as  did  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Tennant,  of  New  Jersey,  in  the  days  of  Whitefield. 
When  he  was  asked  in  regard  to  his  wonderful 
trance,  he  replied:  "I  cannot  tell  you  all."  So 
said  Bro.  Clowse,  and  he  added:  "It  seems  wrong 
for  me  to  try;  but  such  a  revelation  of  Heaven  and 
Christ,  and  of  God's  power  to  save,  as  I  have  had, 
I  did  not  think  was  possible.  My  conversion  has 
been  as  miraculous  as  was  that  of  St.  Paul."  This 
was  a  genuine  transformation,  and  his  life,  while  I 
knew  him,  was  as  bright  as  a  glad  heart  at  peace 
with  itself  and  God,  could  be. 

The  Mormons  had  been  ejected  from  Missouri 


RECOLLECTIONS.  155 

in  December,  1838,  and  had  crossed  the  Missis- 
sippi at  Quincy,  where  with  Joe  Smith,  the  prophet; 
his  father,  the  patriarch;  and  Hiram,  his  brother; 
they  had  been  residing  when  I  came  to 
Quincy.  During  the  preceding  summer,  Smith's 
father  had  died  and  many  of  his  people.  He  and 
those  who  were  left,  were  poor  and  so  inclined 
from  necessity  to  be  quiet  and  peaceable.  But  as 
at  our  revival  four  or  five  of  their  members  had 
been  re-claimed  and  joined  our  church— one  of 
these  an  elder  and  one  of  "the  seventy" — the  lead- 
ers became  alarmed.  In  order  to  counteract  our 
influence,  they  sent  out  several  committees  to  visit 
the  city,  composed  mostly  of  elderly  women. 

Apostate  Methodists  were  sent  to  Methodist 
families,  apostate  Baptists  to  Baptist  families,  and 
thus,  with  the  wisdom  of  the  serpent,  these  women 
went  to  the  people  of  the  other  demominations. 
These  hypocrites  called  on  our  members  and  told 
them  of  their  former  religious  experience,  where 
and  when  they  had  been  converted,  where  and 
when  they  were  sanctified,  and  how  well  they  had 
enjoyed  themselves;  adding  that  all  they  had  ever 
known  of  religious  enjoyment  was  nothing  when 
compared  with  what  they  had  experienced  since 
joining  the  Mormons,  and  much  more  of  like  sort. 

This  they  repeated  from  house  to  house  with  an 
artfulness  and  an  apparent  sincerity,  which  began 
to  affect  the  minds  of  some  of  the  weaker  ones,  in 
many  of  the  churches.  They  had  become  particu- 
larly distasteful  to  our  members,  because  they 


156  RECOLLECTIONS. 

would  crowd  themselves  into  our  revival  meetings 
and  talk  and  advance  their  views. 

I  was  finally  obliged,  in  self-defence,  to  exclude 
them  from  our  love-feasts.  This  made  them  angry 
and  impudent,  and  on  one  occasion,  when  at  the 
door,  they  insisted  upon  coming  in,  they  went  so 
far  as  to  demand,  in  a  boisterous  and  insolent  way, 
the  reason  for  their  exclusion.  I  informed  them 
that  one  reason  was,  that  they  did  not  recognize  us 
as  Christians,  teaching  and  telling  that  no  one 
could  be  saved  but  Mormons.  To  which  they 
made  answer: — 

"That  is  a  lie!" 

This  reply  was  about  what  I  had  expected  from 
such  a  crowd,  so  I  took  no  notice  of  the  insult,  but 
coolly  locked  the  door,  and  prevented  further  in- 
trusion at  that  time. 

The  following  Sabbath  evening,  thinking  that  it 
might  do  some  good,  I  announced  that  on  Monday 
evening  I  would  lecture  on  Mormonism,  provided, 
that  the  people  thought  it  a  subject  of  sufficient 
importance  to  come  out,  really  doubting  whether 
there  would  be  any  who  would  so  consider  it.  On 
Monday  afternoon,  however,  Bro.  Harris,  one  of 
those  who  had  left  the  Mormons  and  joined  our 
church,  called  on  me  and  said:  "You  had  better  be 
ready.  You  are  going  to  have  a  crowd  to-night." 

And,  indeed,  so  it  proved.  There  was  a  crowd: 
scores  of  Mormons  and  hundreds  of  others,  repre- 
senting the  entire  city.  The  church  would  not 
hold  the  people.  Many  stood  around  the  doors 
and  windows. 


RECOLLECTIONS.  157 

After  the  singing  and  prayer,  I  introduced  the 
subject  of  the  lecture  by  saying  that  the  occasion 
of  the  present  evening's  discussion  was:  First,  to 
settle  a  question  of  veracity  between  myself  and 
some  of  the  Mormon  leaders,  who  had  charged  me 
with  lying,  in  stating  that  they  believed  that  every- 
body would  be  damned  but  Mormons.  Secondly, 
to  examine  the  claims  of  Mormonism. 

To  settle  the  first,  I  took  "The  Elders'  Journal," 
a  monthly  magazine,  edited  and  published  by  Joe 
Smith.  I  read  from  the  July  number,  1837,  a 
series  of  questions  addressed  to  Smith,  by  one  of 
his  elders  from  the  South,  among  which  was  this 
one: — 

"Will  everyone  be  damned  but  Mormons?" 
The  reply  was,  "Answer  next  month." 

Turning  to  the  August  number,  I  read  the  ques- 
tion again:  "Will  everybody  be  damned  but  Mor- 
mons?" 

Answer:  "Yes;  and  a  good  many  of  them,  unless 
they  do  better  than  they  have  done." 

This  first  point  settled,  I  proceeded  to  the  main 
subject:  "The  claims  of  Mormonism  to  credence 
as  a  revelation  from  God." 

My  first  proposition  was  that — "It  would  be  un- 
just in  God  to  demand  that  man  should  accept  any- 
thing as  a  revelation  from  Himself,  under  the  pains 
and  penalties  of  His  eternal  displeasure,  without 
furnishing  proof  that  such  revelation  was  from 
Himself." 

This  I  illustrated  by  reference  to  the  giving  of 
the  law  to  Moses;  the  forty  years'  sojourn  in  the 


158  EECOLLECTION8. 

wilderness;  the  crossing  of  the  Jordan,  and  the 
fall  of  Jericho.  By  the  miracles  wrought  by  the 
prophets,  in  attestation  that  God  had  spoken  by 
them;  and  by  the  fulfillment  of  the  prophecies 
which  they  uttered;  by  Christ  and  His  apostles, 
who,  "by  signs  and  wonders  and  divers  miracles" 
wrought  in  the  audience  of  all  the  people,  made 
full  proof  of  the  divinity  of  their  God-given 
authority  and  mission. 

My  second  proposition  was — "The  denial  of  the 
claims  of  Morrnonism  to  inspiration,  and  credence 
because  of  the  utter  want  of  proof." 

In  discussing  this,  I  stated  that  their  claim  to 
"gifts  of  healing,"  was  false;  "that  Christ  never 
failed  when  he  undertook  to  heal  the  sick;  that 
the  disciples,  after  the  resurrection,  never  failed 
when  they  undertook  to  heal  the  sick.  But 
here,"  said  I,  "during  the  last  summer  in  Quincy, 
many  have  been  sick — and  many  have  died,  their 
own  patriarch  among  the  number — some  of  these 
sick  people  had  sent  for  their  prophet  and  elders, 
who  had  prayed  for  them,  laid  their  hands  on  them, 
and  anointed  them  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  Some 
of  these  have  recovered,  and  many  have  died. 
Others  in  the  town  have  been  sick  and  have  not 
sent  for  the  prophet  and  elders.  No  one  has  laid 
hands  on  them,  nor  anointed  them  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord;  some  of  these  have  recovered  and  some 
have  died.  There  is  not  a  particle  of  difference, 
and  not  the  least  proof  of  miraculous  power." 

I  then  showed  that  the  "gift  of  tongues,"  in  the 
Apostolic  church,  was  the  real  knowledge  of  the 


RECOLLECTIONS.  159 

actual  languages  spoken.  But  that  the  gift  of 
tongues  claimed  by  the  Mormons,  was  the  shal- 
lowest kind  of  gibberish  and  hypocrisy;  that  we 
had  men  here  in  Quincy — who  understood  the 
Greek,  Hebrew,  Latin,  French,  German,  Spanish, 
and  perhaps  other  languages.  And  I  defied  the 
whole  Mormon  fraternity  to  produce  a  man,  woman 
or  child,  who  could  speak  correctly  a  single  sen- 
tence in  one  of  these  languages,  which  he  or  she 
had  not  previously  learned  or  been  taught.  And 
that  they  would  not  do  it,  simply  because  they 
could  not  do  it. 

"It  is  an  easy  matter"  I  said,  "for  one  hypocrite 
in  a  meeting,  to  get  up  and  gabble  like  a  goose, 
and  then  for  another  hypocrite  to  get  up  and  say 
that  such  nonsense,  meant  this,  or  that,  whatever 
he  pleased;  but  that  no  one  but  a  simpleton,  would 
be  deceived  by  such  folly.  Instead  of  such  con- 
duct being  a  proof  of  miraculous  power,  it  is  a 
proof  of  the  most  devilish  hypocrisy,  and  a  desire 
to  deceive." 

As  to  the  gift  of  healing,  I  inquired  why  the 
Mormons  did  not  heal  their  own  members  several 
of  whom  are  here,  maimed,  half  deaf  and  blind? 

The  answer  was,  that  they  could  not  do  it — and 
they  knew  it! 

Lastly,  I  showed  from  "Pratt's  Voice  of  Warn- 
ing," the  "Book  of  Covenants,"  and  other  publi- 
cations of  theirs,  that  their  intention  was  to  sub- 
vert this  government,  and  to  give  the  inhabitants 
their  choice  between  Mormonism  or  death. 

While  speaking  on  this  point,  and  proving  it  by 


160  RECOLLECTIONS. 

quotations  from  Mormon  authority,  I  saw  the  feeling 
of  indignation  rising,  and  I  thought  best  to  quiet 
the  people  and  to  conclude  by  saying,  gently,  that 
we  could  well  bear  with  such  vaporing  as  this, 
as  the  Mormons  were  too  feeble  to  arouse  any  fear, 
and  too  contemptible  to  excite  anything  but  pity 
and  disgust.  This  calmed  the  people,  but  left 
the  Mormons  enraged. 

As  I  concluded  one  Mormon  sprang  to  his  feet 
exclaiming : — 

"This  is  a  jug-handled  business — all  on  one  side!" 
And  he  was  proceeding  to  speak  further,  when  a 
storm  of  indignation  rose  from  all  sides  of  the 
house,  and  cries  of  "Put  him  down!  Put  him  out!" 
This  induced  the  gentleman  to  take  his  seat,  and 
taught  him  that  just  then,  "prudence  was  the  bet- 
ter part  of  valor." 

When  ready  to  leave  the  house,  I  found  myself 
escorted  by  six  stalwart  men,  who,  fearing  that  the 
Mormons  would  follow  and  attack  or  perhaps  kill 
me,  were  determined  to  protect  and,  if  need  be, 
defend  the  speaker.  Of  this  I  had  not  the  least 
fear,  and  no  personal  violence  was  at  any  time 
attempted. 

In  one  of  my  pastoral  visits,  however,  a  day  or 
two  after,  I  was  introduced  to  an  old  "Mother  Hig- 
bee." 

"Oh,"  said  she,  as  my  name  was  mentioned, 
"you  lectured  on  Mormonism  the  other  night!" 

"Yes,"  I  replied. 

"Well"  said  she,  "you  told  a  lie!" 


RECOLLECTIONS.  161 

Somewhat  amused,  I  remarked  pleasantly,  "that 
is  easier  said  than  proved,  madam." 

"Yes,  but  you  did,"  she  said  fiercely,  "you  told 
a  lie!" 

Seeing  that  she  was  so  spiteful  and  persistent,  I 
asked  her  to  tell  me  what  it  was  that  I  had  said 
that  was  a  lie. 

"You  said,"  she  replied,  "that  the  Mormons  had 
an  organization  among  themselves,  called,  at  first, 
'The  Daughters  of  Zion,'  afterwards,  'Danites,' 
whose  business  it  was  to  prevent  anyone  from 
leaving  them;  that  this  society  might  first  admon- 
ish, then  whip  and  afterwards  take  the  life,  if 
nothing  else  would  prevent  the  members  from 
leaving  them.  Didn't  you  say  that?" 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "I  did!" 

"Well,"  said  she,  "that  is  a  lie!" 

"How  do  you  know  it  is  a  lie?"  I  asked,  sternly. 
"Because,"  said  she,  "I  have  been  with  them  from 
the  beginning,  and  my  two  sons  are,  and  have 
been  in  the  'First  Council'  among  the  highest. 
And  if  this  had  been  so  I  know  they  would  have 
told  me." 

"Well,"  said  I,  looking  her  steadily  in  the  face, 
"I  want  to  ask  you  a  few  questions,  and  I  want 
you  to  tell  me  the  truth. 

Did  you  join  the  Mormons  before  the  temple  in 
Kirtland  was  endowed?" 

"Yes." 

"Did  you  go  to  Missouri  before  July  1837?" 

"Yes." 

"Did  you  hear  Sidney  Bigdon's  'salt  sermon,' 


162  RECOLLECTIONS. 

delivered  in  the  Far  West,  on  the  Fourth  of  July 
in  that  year?" 

"Yes:  I  did." 

"Well,  now  tell  me  the  truth.  Did  not  Sidney 
Rigdon  say  in  that  sermon,  that  the  report  in  the 
New  Testament,  that  Judas  went  out  and  hanged 
himself,  was  wrong?  And  that  the  truth  was,  the 
disciples  put  him  to  death  because  he  had  betrayed 
his  master?  And  did  he  not  say,  that  the  account 
in  the  Acts,  that  Ananias  and  Sapphira  fell  down 
dead,  was  false?  That  the  truth  was  they  were 
killed  by  the  young  men  because  they  had  lied? 
And  did  he  not  say  that  the  Mormons  had  better 
take  warning?  That  one  had  already  'slipped  his 
wind'  and  others  had  better  be  careful?  Now, 
tell  me  the  truth,  did  he  not  say  these  things?" 

To  this  she  answered  doggedly:  "/  won't  tell 
you  what  he  said!" 

I  simply  remarked,  with  all  the  emphasis  I 
could  muster,  (as  this  conversation  was  carried  on 
in  the  presence  of  a  Bro.  and  Sister  Dilley,  whom 
she  had  been  endeavoring  to  proselyte),  "You 
know  he  did  say  all  this!  And  that  he  said  it  for 
the  very  purpose  of  preventing  persons  from  leav- 
ing the  Mormons!" 

I  was  warmly  thanked,  afterwards,  by  many 
prominent  men  in  the  city  and  vicinity  for  my 
lecture.  And  I  ani  glad  to  be  able  to  say  that  it 
had  the  effect  of  putting  an  end  to  proselyting 
while  the  Mormons  remained  in  Quincy,  which 
was  until  the  next  spring. 

During  that  spring  I  attended  a  public  debate, 


RECOLLECTIONS.  163 

held  in  the  Baptist  church,  between  Dr..  Nelson, 
and  the  Mormon  magnates  on  "The  Claims  of  the 
Mormon  to  Eecognition,  as  a  Christian  Church." 

Dr.  Nelson  the  challenger  on  the  occasion,  was 
the  author  of  "Nelson  on  Infidelity,"  and  the 
founder  of  several  classical  and  theological  insti- 
tutes, then  in  successful  operation  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. Bishop  Eels  was  selected  as  the  Mormon 
speaker;  Jo.  Smith,  Sidney  Kigdon,  P.  P.  Pratt 
and  Orson  Hyde  of  the  Mormon  fraternity  being 
present.  This  debate  lasted  three  days,  but  was 
never  concluded,  as  in  the  course  of  it,  Dr.  Nelson 
was  taken  ill  with  a  severe  attack  of  vertigo,  to 
which  he  had  been  subject.  So  that,  while  it  at- 
tracted considerable  attention  at  the  time,  the  re- 
sult anticipated  by  Dr.  Nelson  and  his  friends, 
was  not  realized. 

Soon  after  this,  the  Mormons  moved  to  the  old 
village  plat  of  "Commerce,"  which  had  been  for 
sometime  deserted;  and  which  Jo.  Smith  &  Co., 
had  bought  early  in  the  spring  of  1840.  This  was 
in  Hancock  county,  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  at  the  head  of  the  "lower  rapids." 
Smith  asserting  that  it  had  been  revealed  to  him, 
that  this  place  was  to  be  named  "Nauvoo,''  and 
that  here  the  saints  were  to  gather  together  from 
the  four  winds  of  heaven.  Of  course  all  the  saints 
obeyed,  and  while  there,  for  a  year  or  two  and 
struggling  with  poverty,  they  made  but  little 
trouble. 

The  wonderful  religious  interest  in  the  city  of 
Quincy  during  1839-1840,  commenced  in  the  Meth- 


164  RECOLLECTIONS. 

odist  church.  This  was  continued  and  increased 
by  a  protracted  meeting,  held  in  the  Congrega- 
tional church,  under  the  direction  of  Kev.  Foote,  a 
co-laborer  with  Mr.  Finney  of  Oberlin.  After 
that,  a  union  protracted  meeting  was  held  in  the 
Baptist  church,  which  resulted  in  a  number  of 
conversions.  For  this  meeting  I  was  fortunate 
enough  to  secure  the  services  of  Rev.  W.  C. 
Stribbling,  who  greatly  endeared  himself  to  the 
people,  while  laboring  there.  During  the  summer 
of  1840,  two  camp-meetings  were  held,  in  which 
Quincy  station  and  Columbus  circuit  united.  Bro. 
J.  H.  Piper,  the  circuit  preacher,  and  myself  were 
responsible  for  the  first.  This  was  held  in  the 
Hanks  neighborhood.  It  was  a  meeting  of  great 
power,  and  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  was  present,  in 
convicting  and  converting,  from  its  commence- 
ment. Bro.  Harvey  Brown  preached  at  11  o'clock 
A.  M.  on  Sunday,  with  great  acceptability. 

In  the  evening,  there  was  a  wonderful  stirring 
among  the  dry  bones.  Many  were  converted,  and 
the  prayer  meeting  with  the  seekers  was  con- 
tinued until  the  dawning  of  the  morning. 

But  Monday  was  the  great  day  of  the  meeting. 
I  had  slept  from  five  in  the  morning  until  nine. 
Then  Bro.  Piper  came  to  me  and  said  I  must  get 
up  and  preach  then.  I  consented,  rather  reluc- 
tantly; and  spoke  from  Isaiah  I.,  18.,  "Come  now, 
and  let  us  reason  together,  saith  the  Lord."  I 
had  only  moderate  liberty,  but  the  Spirit  was 
wonderfully  present,  to  apply  what  was  said. 


,       EECOLLECTIONS.  165 

After  the  sermon  Bro.  Brown  took  the  stand, 
saying: — 

"I  am  not  going  to  exhort,  or  argue,  or  per- 
suade. I  want  every  seat  in  this  altar  cleared 
for  mourners.  I  shall  not  sing  you  up;  but  right 
here,  and  now,  I  want  everyone,  on  this  camp- 
ground who  wants  religion,  to  come  into  this  altar 
and  seek  for  it!" 

No  sooner  was  the  opportunity  given,  than  the 
movement  forward  seemed  simultaneous  all  over 
the  ground.  Every  seat  was  filled  about  as  quick- 
ly as  the  seekers  could  get  to  them. 

"Give  us  the  first  row  of  seats  outside  the  altar," 
said  Brown.  These  were  filled. 

"Give  us  the  second  row!"  And  these  were 
nearly  filled.  And  among  the  seekers  came  a  Mr. 
Campbell,  said  to  be  the  wickedest  man  in  Adams 
county,  led  in  by  Bro.  Clowse,  who  had  followed 
him  when  he  left  the  ground  while  I  had  been 
preaching. 

"Now,"  said  Bro.  Brown,  "every  man  to  his  post. 
Here  is  work  to  be  done;  don't  stop  to  shout,  we 
shall  have  plenty  of  time  to  shout  in  Heaven, 
now  is  the  time  to  pray."  All  knelt,  saint  and 
sinner.  And  a  mighty  volume  of  prayer  went  up 
to  God. 

Soon  the  ringing  notes  of  victory  were  heard 
from  the  converted.  One  and  another,  and  another 
in  quick  succession,  until  scores  were  rejoicing  in 
the  blessed  assurance  of  sins  forgiven.  Waves  of 
pentecostal  power  fell  upon  the  people,  and  the 
whole  camp-ground  became  one  vast  scene  of  exul- 


166  RECOLLECTIONS. 

tation  and  triumphant  joy.  For  more  than  an 
hour,  nothing  could  be  heard  but  the  great  shout 
of  that  happy  company  of  Christian  people.  Just 
how  many  were  converted  at  that  time,  we  could 
not  definitely  ascertain ;  but  there  were  taken  into 
our  own  church,  about  one  hundred  and  fifty,  as 
the  result  of  that  camp-meeting. 

The  second  one  was  held  at  Wesley  chapel. 
And  this,  too,  resulted  in  the  conversion  of  many 
and  a  great  ingathering  of  souls. 

My  first  year  in  Quincy  ended  joyfully;  at  the 
same  time,  it  was  my  judgemnt  that  I  ought  not 
to  return  there  for  the  second  year.  This  I  stated 
to  my  official  board  and  to  my  presiding  elder. 
But  the  church  and  Dr.  Akers  were  of  a  different 
mind  in  the  matter,  urging  that  I  ought  to  return. 
To  their  expostulations  I  finally  yielded,  and  con- 
sented to  come  back  for  the  second  year;  but 
principally  on  account  of  the  many  new  converts, 
who  had  joined  the  church  during  the  year  and 
needed  much  care.  I,  perhaps,  ought  to  say  here 
that  we  paid  on  the  church  debt,  during  my  first 
year,  two  thousand  dollars. 


RECOLLECTIONS.  167 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

annual  conference  of  1840,  met  at  Spring- 
field; Bishop  Waugh,  presiding. 

To  meet  our  examinations  on  Monday,  it  was 
necessary  to  get  near  the  city  on  Saturday.  Ac- 
cordingly, sixteen  of  us  met  at  Rev.  Peter  Cart- 
wright's,  sixteen  miles  west  of  Springfield,  on 
Saturday  afternoon,  and  attended  a  two  days'  meet- 
ing in  that  neighborhood,  which  had  been  ap- 
pointed in  view  of  the  preachers  coming  to  confer- 
ence. In  these  meetings  we  all  assisted.  On 
Monday  morning  we  rode  into  Springfield  on 
horseback. 

As  we  started  in  the  morning,  Sister  Cartwright 
remarked  to  her  husband: — 

"You  may  look  for  me  about  Friday." 

"Humph,"  said  Uncle  Peter,  "You  need  not  ex- 
pect me  to  look  after  you  if  you  do  come!" 

"Thank  you,  sir,"  said  she,  "I  have  a  little  popu- 
larity of  my  own;  I  can  take  care  of  myself." 

To  us  younger  members,  our  annual  conferences 
were  real  Jerusalem  feasts,  as  we  had  nothing  to 
do  but  enjoy  the  religious  services  of  those  occa- 
sions. It  was  at  this  conference  that  we  first  or- 
ganized a  literary  and  theological  society  for  the 


168  RECOLLECTIONS. 

junior  preachers.  A  course  of  study  was  adopted, 
committees  on  examinations  appointed,  and  John 
W.  Merrill,  of  McKendree  college,  was  chosen 
president,  and  Norris  Hobart,  secretary.  This 
association,  which  was  very  beneficial  to  its  mem- 
bers, was  continued  while  I  remained  in  that  con- 
ference. 

On  Sabbath,  twenty-eight,  I  think,  of  our  class 
of  thirty,  including  myself  and  brother,  were  or- 
dained elders,  by  Bishop  Waugh ;  Peter  Cartwright, 
assisting.  My  reception  on  my  return  to  Quincy 
for  the  second  year,  was  most  kind  and  cordial,  and 
I  was  soon  at  my  regular  work  again. 

Two  things  I  saw  needed  this  year  to  be  done. 
One  was  to  care  for,  and  train,  religiously,  the 
many  who  had  been  gathered  into  the  fold  the 
previous  year;  and  the  other  to  keep  up  my  own 
pulpit  efforts.  To  the  accomplishment  of  these,  I 
addressed  myself,  with  all  the  energy,  force  and 
faith  which  I  possessed. 

My  rules  of  life,  were  to  study  from  six  in  the 
morning  until  noon;  do  pastoral  work  from  two 
until  six  in  the  evening;  then  study  again  until 
nine  or  ten,  except  on  the  evenings  of  our  prayer- 
meeting. 

The  congregations  were  large  and  my  success  in 
building  up  the  church  encouraging.  The  most  of 
those  who  had  united  with  the  church,  remained 
steadfast.  Many  of  them  have  since  finished  their 
course  with  joy,  and  have  left  a  good  record,  while 
others  are  still,  and  have  been  for  more  than  forty 


RECOLLECTIONS.  169 

years,  active  and  useful,  and  many  of  them  leading 
members  in  the  church. 

My  pulpit  efforts  were  maintained,  I  think,  to 
the  standard  I  had  fixed,  but  it  cost  me  too 
much.  My  health  failed;  I  became  too  nervous  to 
sleep,  and  was  consequently  obliged  to  give  up 
most  of  my  studying  for  the  last  three  months. 
While  this  was  a  subject  of  great  regret  to  me,  yet, 
so  far  as  I  am  aware,  it  was  not  known  or  thought 
of  by  others. 

About  the  last  of  August,  Bro.  Piper  and  I  had 
a  camp-meeting  on  the  head  of  Bear  creek,  twenty- 
five  miles  north  of  Quincy.  This  camp-meeting 
resulted  in  establishing  a  Methodist  church  in  that 
neighborhood,  which  is  still,  so  far  as  I  know,  "a 
city  set  on  a  hill." 

During  the  spring  and  summer  of  this  year, 
1841, 1  preached,  once  in  four  weeks,  in  the  Murphy 
neighborhood,  at  the  urgent  request  of  Mrs. 
Murphy,  mother  of  Dr.  Jno.  H.  Murphy,  of  St. 
Paul.  On  these  occasions,  I  always  enjoyed  the 
hospitalities  of  this  excellent  family;  and  the 
pleasant  friendships  there  formed,  have  been  but 
cementing  during  more  than  forty  years.  The 
dear  mother — a  "mother  in  Israel,  indeed" — lived 
to  the  age  of  nearly  ninety  years,  exemplifying,  to 
the  last,  the  power  of  Christ  to  save  to  the  utter- 
most. Hers  was  a  pure,  true,  brave  spirit.  We 
laid  her  away  in  the  cemetery  by  the  falls  of  St. 
Anthony,  only  a  few  days  since,  in  joyful 
hope  of  meeting  in  "our  Father's  house."  I  per- 

12 


170  RECOLLECTIONS. 

formed  the  last  loving  rites,  and  conducted  the 
funeral  services  of  my  dear  old  friend. 

My  second  year  at  Quincy  closed  with  the  debt 
decreased  by  another  thousand  dollars — a  large 
and  prosperous  church — in  uninterrupted  peace 
and  harmony.  We  mingled  our  tears  at  parting, 
commending  each  other  to  God  and  the  word  of 
His  grace. 

The  conference  for  1841,  was  held  at  Jackson- 
ville; Bishop  Morris,  presiding. 

This  was  a  most  harmonious  session.  My  pre- 
siding elder,  Dr.  Akers,  took  occasion  to  ask  me 
early,  how  often  I  had  preached  at  conference. 
Surprised  enough  at  such  a  question,  I  replied 
that  I  "had  never  dreamed  of  doing  such  a  thing, 
and  wouldn't  preach  under  any  consideration." 

"Well,  we  will  fix  that,"  he  said  in  his  genial 
way.  I,  rather  fearful  at  first  from  this  half  inti- 
mation, soon  quieted  myself  by  the  assurance  that 
Dr.  Akers  was  too  wise  a  man  to  do  such  an  absurd 
thing,  and  tried  to  forget  the  matter.  But  what  I 
dreaded  came;  that  evening  I  was  announced  to 
preach  the  next  day  at  2  o'clock  p.  M.  To  say  that 
I  was  scared,  embarrassed,  confused  with  the 
thought,  is  nothing  compared  with  the  fact.  I  was 
all  these  and  much  more.  But  the  decree  was 
inexorable,  and  try  I  must,  in  the  strength  of  the 
Lord. 

Fearing,  trembling  and  praying  I  went  into  the 
pulpit,  took  my  text,  James  I.,  27,  "Pure  religion," 
etc.,  and,  for  about  forty  minutes,  did  the  best  I 
could  in  contrasting  the  impurity  of  heathenism, 


RECOLLECTIONS.  171 

the  sensuality  of  Mohammedanism,  and  the  devel- 
opment of  Judaism,  with  the  pure  religion  of  the 
Gospel  of  Christ.  The  last  was  clear  in  its  proofs; 
experimental  in  its  acquisition;  saving  in  its  results 
and  glorious  in  its  issue.  I  am  thankful  to  say, 
that  the  Lord  helped  me,  and  I,  at  least,  had  a 
happy  time,  and  was  without  anxiety  as  to  results. 

Bro.  Stribbling,  who  was  noted  for  his  pleasant- 
ries, was  present  at  this  conference,  to  settle  up  his 
book  accounts.  He  came  to  the  door  of  the  base- 
ment, in  which  the  conference  was  held,  just  as 
Bro.  J.  F.  Wright,  the  book  agent,  was  going  out, 
and  they  were  introduced  to  each  other  by  Bro. 
Mitchell. 

"Ah,"  said  Bro.  Stribbling,  in  his  own  peculiar 
way,  "I  have  heard  of  thee  by  the  hearing  of  the 
ear,  but  now  mine  eye  seeth  thee!"  To  which  Bro. 
Wright,  making  a  very  low  bow,  responded: 

"And  I  abhor  myself  in  dust  and  ashes!" 

Bro.  Stribbling  was  for  a  moment  decidedly  non- 
plused, then  they  each  laughed  heartily,  and  were 
friends  at  once. 

This  year  I  was  sent  to  Eushville  to  succeed  my 
brother,  Norris,  who  was  sent  to  Alton.  Kushville, 
at  the  time,  was  one  of  the  best  stations  in  the 
conference,  and  my  brother's  year  had  been  very 
successful:  over  one  hundred  having  united  with 
the  church.  Most  of  these  were  from  the  Sunday 
school,  and  needed  special  pastoral  care;  quite  a 
number  had  joined  as  seekers  of  religion.  The 
membership  was  large,  including  the  greater  por- 
tion of  the  wealth  and  business  talent  of  the  vil- 


172  RECOLLECTIONS. 

lage,  and  the  adjacent  country,  and  having  more 
members  than  all  the  other  churches  in  the 
vicinity. 

A  busier  year  than  this  one  was,  I  don't  know 
that  I  have  ever  had.  For,  in  addition  to  my  own 
large  charge  and  regular  work,  there  were  so  many 
of  my  old  friends,  in  adjoining  neighborhoods,  who 
came  urging  me  to  preach  for  them,  that  I  thought 
best  to  set  apart  Wednesday  evening  of  each  week 
to  filling  appointments  in  the  country.  In  Rush- 
ville  the  congregations  were  very  large,  as  they 
had  been  through  the  preceding  year. 

Finding  that  many  of  my  Sabbath  school  proba- 
tioners were  only  seekers,  an  d  some  of  them  hardly 
that,  and  that  many  in  the  congregation  were 
seriously  desirous  of  obtaining  religion,  and  that  a 
number  of  the  old  and  substantial  members  had 
become  cold  and  formal,  too  much  so  in  fact,  to 
take  hold  of  the  work  spiritually,  I  commenced, 
immediately  after  the  holidays,  a  series  of  revival 
meetings.  It  was  not  until  the  third  night  that  an 
invitation  was  given  to  mourners  to  come  to  the 
altar.  Then  fifteen  presented  themselves,  under 
deep  conviction.  There  were  in  the  audience  at 
the  time,  more  than  one  hundred  members  of  the 
church,  and  to  my  utter  surprise  and  astonish- 
ment, I  could  only  get  two  old  ladies  forward  to 
pray  for  the  seekers. 

This  state  of  things  brought  a  very  heavy  bur- 
den on  me:  holding  meeting  every  afternoon  and 
evening  —  talking,  singing,  praying,  exhorting, 
preaching  and  visiting,  and  almost  all  by  myself. 


RECOLLECTIONS.  173 

The  seriousness  of  the  unconverted  increased;  but 
there  was  no  break  or  change  with  the  member- 
ship until  the  eighth  night,  when  God  honored  the 
faith  of  the  few  who  were  engaged  in  the  work, 
and  fourteen  were  converted.  This  occasioned  me 
more  joy  than  I  can  express,  and  it  also  increased 
our  working  force,  and  best  of  all,  it  placed  the 
seal  of  D-ivine  approval  on  our  efforts. 

For  two  weeks  we  kept  up  the  meetings,  and  the 
result,  direct,  was  that  twenty-five  who  had  not 
belonged  to  the  church,  with  many  of  the  proba- 
tioners who  had  been  seekers,  were  happily  con- 
verted. We  should  have  continued  longer,  but  I 
broke  down,  I  could  not  speak  from  exhaustion, 
and  was  obliged  to  desist. 

Among  those  who  claim  my  grateful  remem- 
brance during  those  two  weeks  of  labor  and  of 
faith,  against  the  world,  the  devil  and  the  coldness 
and  indifference  of  a  church  "at  ease  in  Zion,"  were 
Mrs.  Josiah  Parrott,  Miss  Sarah  Pope,  (now  Mrs. 
Samuel  Spates,  of  Red  Wing  M.  E.  church), 
Father  and  Mother  Johnson,  and  my  own  dear 
mother.  These  assisted  me,  laboring  faithfully  for 
the  conversion  of  souls,  and  who  will  all,  I  believe, 
have  many  stars  in  the  crowns  of  their  rejoicing. 

In  the  spring  of  1841,  there  were  two  instances 
of  special  Divine  direction  in  my  work,  which 
I  gratefully  record: 

Fourteen  miles  west  of  Rushville,  there  was  a 
neighborhood  in  the  forks  of  Grindstone  creek, 
where  there  had  been  a  Methodist  class.  It  had 
also  been  a  preaching  place,  but  the  members  had 


174  RECOLLECTIONS. 

moved  away;  preaching  had  been  given  up,  and 
the  Mormons  had  tried  to  get  a  foothold  among 
the  people,  and  had  succeeded  in  getting  a  few  to 
join  them.  The  neighborhood  consisted  of  be- 
tween forty  and  fifty  families,  with  a  multitude  of 
young  people,  left  apparently  without  any  religious 
teaching.  Learning  of  this  state  of  things,  the 
impression  came  to  me  like  an  inspiration  and 
grew  strong  within  me,  that  I  ought  to  go  and 
hold  a  two  days'  meeting  there.  So  convincing 
was  this  impression  that  I  arranged  to  have  my 
pulpit  filled,  and  sent  an  appointment  to  the  Grind- 
stone people  for  the  16th  and  17th  of  April.  Start- 
ing in  company  with  Bro  J.  Dewit,  a  young  local 
preacher  of  my  charge,  we  arrived  in  time  to  meet 
the  11  A.  M.  appointment,  and  I  spoke  to  a  good 
congregation,  from  I  Tim.  L,  8.  Bro.  Dewit 
preaching  at  night. 

Sabbath  morning  I  held  a  social  meeting,  and  at 
11  A.  M.  preached  from  Kom.  VI.,  22:  "Being  made 
free  from  sin."  My  arrangement  was:  First,  to 
show,  in  what  sense  and  to  what  extent  men  are  in- 
volved in  sin.  Secondly,  how  we  are  made  free 
from  it  —  sin  imputed,  sine  inherent  (depravity), 
sin  actual,  in  all  wrong  doing,  in  thought,  word 
and  deed.  These  were  illustrated  and  explained. 

On  my  second  proposition,  which  was  the  prin- 
cipal one,  it  was  shown :  First,  that  the  idea  that 
men  suffered  in  this  life  in  proportion  to  their 
crimes,  was  both  absurd  and  false.  Secondly, 
that  to  teach  that  sinners  suffered  in  hell  until  hell 
fire  freed  them  from  sin,  or  until  they  repented 


EECOLLECTION8.  175 

and  believed,  was  anti-scriptural  and  ruinous. 
Thirdly,  that  the  doctrine  that  we  are  made  free 
from  sin  by  baptism,  as  taught  by  Romanists, 
Mormons,  Campbellites  and  some  others,  or  that 
baptism  is  a  condition  necessarily  of  pardon  and 
renewal,  was  false  and  unauthorized  by  the  word 
of  God.  Its  absurdity  was  set  forth  by  showing: 
First,  that  this  doctrine  takes  the  pardon  of  the 
sinner  out  of  the  hands  of  the  Almighty,  and  places 
it  in  the  hands  of  the  administrator.  Secondly, 
that  it  is  salvation  by  works.  Thirdly,  that  it 
makes  the  salvation  of  some  impossible,  as  it  would 
be  in  the  case  of  an  Alexander  Selkirk,  or  any 
other  excluded  from  human  association.  Fourthly, 
that  this  was  unscriptural. 

Then  came  the  "tug  of  war;"  as  this  doctrine  of 
baptismal  regeneration,  was  the  doctrine  taught 
by  the  Mormons  and  the  Campbellites  who  were  in 
that  neighborhood;  and  the  pentecostal  sermon  of 
St.  Peter  (Acts  II.,  38,)  was  given  by  them  as 
their  foundation  and  authority :  they  teaching  that 
baptism  and  not  faith  was  the  condition  of  pardon ; 
while  I  asserted,  and  proved,  that  faith  is  in  the 
Scripture  made  the  condition  of  salvation. 

It  was  shown  that  Peter's  sermon  consisted 
of  two  parts:  The  first  being  from  the  fourteenth 
to  the  twenty-first  verse ;  that  this  division  covered 
all  of  human  history  from  the  coming  of  Christ 
designated  by  the 'Patriarch  Jacob  (Gen.  XLIX., 
10,)  as  the  "last  days,"  and  extending  to  the 
general  judgment,  (see  II.  Peter  III.,  3-7); 
and  that  during  this  entire  period,  "whosoever 


176  RECOLLECTIONS. 

shall  call  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord  shall  be 
saved."  (Acts  II.,  21.)  The  remaining  portion 
of  that  sermon,  I  explained,  was  devoted,  exclu- 
sively, to  those  Jews  who  had  rejected  Jesus  as  the 
Messiah.  This  is  proved  by  the  apostle's  own 
words,  "Ye  men  of  Israel"  (verse  22);  and,  again, 
"God  hath  made  that  same  Jesus,  whom  ye  have 
crucified,  boih  Lord  and  Christ"  (verse  36). 

To  see  the  propriety  of  using  such  language  to 
the  rejecters  and  crucifiers  of  our  Lord,  we  must 
go  back  in  their  history,  and  ascertain,  what  their 
obligations  were  to  receive  Christ,  when  He  came; 
and  what  their  condition  was  to  be,  should  they 
reject  Him.  Going  back  to  the  giving  of  the  law, 
I  said: — 

"We  find  that  such  was  the  overwhelming  reve- 
lation, which  God  made  of  Himself  to  Israel,  at 
the  giving  of  the  law,  that  they  were  fully  con- 
vinced, that  should  He  again  reveal  Himself  in 
that  way,  they  must  die.  So  deeply  were  they 
conscious  of  this  that  they  said  to  Moses  ( Ex.  XX. 
19,  If  we  hear  the  voice  of  the  Lord,  our  God, 
anymore,  then  we  shall  die.  Go  thou  near,  and 
hear  all  that  the  Lord,  our  God,  shall  say,  and 
speak  thou  unto  us,  all  that  the  Lord,  our  God, 
shall  speak  unto  thee,  and  we  will  hear  it,  and  do 
it!" 

To  this  proposition  the  Lord  answered,  "I  have 
heard  the  voice  of  the  words  of  tins  people.  They 
have  well  said  all  that  they  have  spoken."  That 
is,  God  agrees  to  their  proposition,  that  He  will 
not  speak  again  to  them  as  He  did  in  the  giving  of 


RECOLLECTIONS.  177 

the  ten  commandments;  but  that  He  will  speak  to 
them  through  Moses ;  and  they  agree,  on  their  part, 
that  whatever  God  commands  them  through  Moses 
to  do,  "they  will  hear  and  do." 

Now,  in  the  XVIII  chapter  of  Deuteronomy, 
verses  15-19,  we  learn  exactly  what  it  was,  which 
they  were  to  do.  We  have  it  in  these  words :  "The 
Lord  thy  God,  will  raise  up  unto  thee  a  Prophet 
from  the  midst  of  thee,  of  thy  brethren,  like  unto 
me;  unto  him  ye  shall  hearken.  According  to  all 
that  thou  desiredst  of  the  Lord  thy  God  in  Horeb 
in  the  day  of  the  assembly  saying:  Let  me  not 
hear  again,  the  voice  of  the  Lord  my  God,  neither 
let  me  see  this  great  fire  any  more,  that  I  die  not. 
And  the  Lord  said  unto  me,  they  have  well 
spoken,  that  which  they  have  spoken.  I  will  raise 
them  up  a  Prophet,  from  among  their  brethren, 
like  unto  thee,  and  will  put  my  words  in  his 
mouth;  and  he  shall  speak  unto  them  all  that  I 
shall  command  him.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass, 
that  whosoever  will  not  hearken  unto  my  words 
which  he  shall  speak  in  my  name,  I  will  require  it 
of  him." 

Peter  in  quoting  this  passage,  gives  the  exact 
meaning,  as  follows:  (Acts  III.,  22,  23.)  "A 
Prophet  shall  the  Lord  your  God  raise  up  unto 
you  of  your  brethren,  like  unto  me;  Him  shall  ye 
hear  in  all  things  whatsover  He  shall  say  unto  you. 
And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  every  soul  which 
will  not  hear  that  Prophet,  shall  be  destroyed  from 
among  the  people." 

"This,"  I  went  on  to  say,  "makes  the  case  very 


178  RECOLLECTIONS. 

plain.  Israel  was  under  special  covenant  obliga- 
tion to  adhere  to  Moses  until  'that  Prophet,'  Christ 
came.  Bat  when  that  Prophet  came,  they  were 
under  the  same  obligation  to  forsake  Moses  and 
adhere  to  Christ,  that  they  had  been  before  his 
coming,  to  adhere  to  Moses.  To  make  this  more 
immutable,  Moses,  in  the  XXVII,  chapter  of 
Deuteronomy,  commands  Israel,  after  they  should 
pass  over  Jordan,  to  go  up  to  the  valley  between 
Mi  Gerrizim  and  Mi  Ebal;  that  six  tribes  were 
to  stand  on  Mi  Gerrizim  to  bless,  and  six  on  Mt. 
Ebal,  to  curse ;  that  Levi  was  to  stand  in  the  valley 
between,  and  to  pronounce  the  blessings  and  the 
curses.  To  each  of  which  the  entire  nation,  was 
to  respond  'Amen!' 

"The  last  curse  is  in  point  in  this  connection. 
It  is  this:  'Cursed  be  he  that  confirmeth  not  all 
the  words  of  this  law  to  do  them.  And  all  the 
people  shall  say  Amen!'  (Deut.  XXVII.,  26.) 
And  the  curse  which  should  come  upon  them,  was 
that  they  should  be  cursed  in  person,  in  their 
families,  in  their  basket,  in  their  store;  cursed 
with  sickness  and  bondage,  driven  before  their 
enemies;  peeled,  torn,  scattered  as  vagabonds  and 
wanderers  among  the  nations,  until  life  became  a 
burden.  (See  Deut.  XXVIII.,  16-68.)  And  all 
these  curses  were  to  come  upon  them,  if  they  did 
not  recieve  that  Prophet,  Christ  when  He  came. 
Every  Jew  understood  this.  There  was  not  one  of 
them  that  did  not  know  that  the  Messiah  was  to  be 
received  when  He  came;  nor  one  who  did  not  ex- 
pect and  intend  to  go  to  Him  when  He  should 


BECOLLECTIONS.  179 

come.  The  question  in  the  days  of  the  Master, 
was  not,  shall  we  go  to  Christ  when  He  comes? 
but,  Is  Jesus  of  Nazareth  the  Christ  ? 

"Keep  these  facts  in  mind:  More  than 
fourteen  centuries  from  Moses  had  passed  by; 
prophet  after  prophet,  had  spoken;  promise  after 
promise  had  been  given;  continued  and  increased, 
and  concentrated  light  had  shone  upon  this  subject. 
The  promise  given  to  Moses  was  renewed  to  later 
prophets,  as  the  promise  given  to  Moses  had  been 
but  the  renewed  and  developed  promise  given  to 
Adam  and  Eve  in  'the  garden.' 

"The  family,  the  place,  the  time  had  all  been 
announced.  The  Jewish  world  was  waiting.  The 
time  had  come.  The  Messiah  appeared,  heralded 
by  the  angelic  host.  Heavenly  visitants  had  been 
on  the  wing.  Strange  rumors  had  been  circulat- 
ing among  the  people.  The  saints  in  the  temple 
were  exultant  with  joy.  A  new  and  glorious  star 
was  added  to  the  constellations.  Then  an  anxious 
pause  of  thirty  expectant  years  ensues.  When  all 
unlocked  for,  the  voice  of  John  the  Baptist  crying 
in  the  wilderness,  'Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,' 
startled  the  nation  and  the  people  of  Israel.  Like 
a  mighty  trumpet  tone  came  the  great  herald  of 
the  Master;  rousing  to  intense  excitement,  calling 
Israel  from  Dan  to  Beersheba  to  repentance,  and 
announcing  the  actual  presence  of  the  long  ex- 
pected Messiah.  He  came,  not  as  the  scribes  and 
the  rulers  had  taught, — in  the  splendors  of  an 
oriental  potentate — but  as  a  Galilean  peasant  from 
the  obscure  village  of  Nazareth! 


180  RECOLLECTIONS. 

"If  He  had  come  as  a  king,  announcing  His  line- 
age and  claiming  the  throne,  the  scepter  and  the 
crown  of  David;  endorsing  their  teachings  and  in- 
citing them  to  rebellion  against  the  government  of 
Rome;  no  doubt  the  Jews  would  have  followed 
Him  to  the  death.  But  instead  He  associated  with 
the  lowly  and  selected  His  disciples  from  among 
the  unlearned  fishermen  of  Gennesaret.  He  visit- 
ed the  temple,  turned  out  and  scourged  the  occu- 
pants who  were  desecrating  it,  and  charged  the 
rulers  with  making  it  a  den  of  thieves.  He  de- 
nounced, the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  as  hypocrites, 
filled  with  all  manner  of  corruption,  and  boldly 
asserted  that  none  but  the  pure  in  heart  should 
see  God.  He  taught  a  morality  such  as  the  world 
had  never  heard,  and  sustained  His  claims  to  the 
Messiahship  by  miracles  of  the  most  wonderful 
character.  The  blind  saw;  the  deaf  heard;  the 
lepers  were  cleansed;  the  maimed  were  made 
whole;  devils  were  cast  out,  and  the  dead  were 
raised  up.  Chronic  diseases  were  healed  by  His 
touch;  and  sickness  and.  sorrow  fled  from  His 
presence  as  darkness  before  the  sun. 

"Excitement  ran  high.  As  the  ocean  is  stirred 
when  the  great  winds  sweep  over  and  agitate  its 
billows,  so  were  stirred  and  tossed  and  agitated 
the  hearts  of  Israel's  thousands,  during  the  years 
of  the  public  ministry  of  the  Son  of  God.  Those 
who  recieved  Him,  worshiped  Him  as  Divine; 
while  His  enemies  denounced  Him  as  an  imposter, 
a  drunkard,  a  glutton,  a  Sabbath  breaker,  a  blas- 
phemer, and  in  league  with  the  devil. 


EECOLLECTIONS.  181 

"Such  fearful  conflict  and  variance  of  opinion, 
could  not  exist  long  together.  One  party  or  the 
other  must  triumph.  Hence,  when  the  great  feast 
of  the  Passover  came,  His  enemies  who  desired 
His  overthrow,  planned  for  His  arrest  and  death. 
Betrayed  by  a  false  disciple,  tried  by  a  mob 
governed  court,  condemned  by  a  cowardly  judge. 
A  judge,  who  while  he  asserted  the  innocence  of 
the  Savior,  yet  yielded  to  the  clamor  of  the  multi- 
tude, who  demanded  His  death,  crying  His  blood 
be  upon  us  and  upon  our  children.  Nailed  to  the 
cross,  hanging  three  dreadful  hours  in  agony,  a 
spectacle  to  angels  and  to  men ;  while  the  darkened 
sun,  the  trembling  earth  and  the  startled  dead 
attested  their  horror  of  the  crime.  He  died:  was 
buried  in  Joseph's  tomb;  a  great  stone  closed  the 
sepulchre;  the  king's  seal,  and  a  Roman  guard 
made  it  secure.  Vain  thought!  The  third  morn- 
ing angel  hands  rolled  away  the  stone!  And  the 
mighty  Christ  came  forth,  Lord  both  of  the  living 
and  the  dead!  He  was  seen  of  the  Marys;  then 
by  the  eleven;  then  in  Galilee,  by  five  hundred 
brethren  at  once;  then  at  the  sea  of  Tiberius;  then 
back  to  Jerusalem;  and  on  the  fortieth  day  He 
ascended  from  the  Mount  of  Bethany,  in  the 
presence  of  His  disciples;  and  the  heavens  received 
Him  out  of  their  sight. 

"For  ten  days  they  wait  in  prayer,  and  on  the 
fiftieth  morning  from  the  crucifixion,  the  great 
pentecostal  baptism  came.  The  disciples  are 
exultant;  the  multitude  of  strangers  come  to- 
gether, the  one  hundred  and  twenty,  clothed  with 


182  RECOLLECTIONS. 

tongues  of  fire,  speaking  in  many  languages  and 
proclaiming  with  power,  the  Messiahship  and 
resurrection  of  Christ.  The  multitude  are  some- 
what confused,  while  the  haters  and  murderers  of 
Christ  are  asserting  that  this  is  a  drunken  de- 
bauch. And  it  is  just  at  this  point  that  Peter 
gave  his  memorable  sermon,  the  latter  part  of 
which  is  addressed,  exclusively,  to  the  haters,  be- 
trayers and  murderers  of  Christ.  He  charges 
them  with  the  crime,  which  they  dare  not  deny. 
And  then  conclusively  proves,  from  their  own 
Scriptures,  that  the  death  and  resurrection  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,  has  been  prophetically  announced 
hundreds  of  years  before.  Then  turning  to  them 
clothed  with  the  awful  majesty  and  earnestness  of 
truth,  he  asserts,  'Therefore,  let  all  the  house  of 
Israel  know  assuredly  that  God  hath  made  that 
same  Jesus,  whom  ye  have  crucified  both  Lord  and 
Christ'  When  this  was  proved  it  followed  that 
several  other  things  were  also  proved.  For,  if 
Jesus  was  the  Christ,  then  these  men  had  broken 
the  covenant  made  with  God,  by  the  Fathers. 
They  had  put  themselves  out  of  covenant  relation 
with  God;  had  cut  themselves  off  from  the  cov- 
enants of  promise,  had  brought  upon  themselves 
the  curses  of  the  violated  law,  and  had  enacted 
the  blackest  crime  that  was  ever  committed  in  the 
universe,  by  staining  their  hands  in  the  blood  of 
the  Son  of  God,  and  invoking  the  curse  of  His 
blood  on  themselves  and  their  children ! 

"Three  thousand  were  convinced;  and  in  shame 
and   agony    cry  out — not  like   the    jailor,    'What 


RECOLLECTIONS.  183 

must  we  do,  to  be  saved  ?' — but,  'Men  and  brethren 
what  shall  we  do?  How  shall  we  avoid  the  fear- 
ful curse  which  we  have  incurred?  How  get  out 
from  it?  How  avert  the  storm  of  divine  wrath, 
the  utter  and  irreparable  ruin  which  awaits  us?' 

"To  this  view  of  the  subject,  the  answer  is  per- 
tinent. They  had  publicly  ridiculed,  persecuted, 
denied  and  murdered  the  Lord's  Christ,  and  in- 
voked the  curse  of  His  blood  on  themselves  and 
their  children.  Now  nothing  but  a  confession  of 
their  sins,  and  an  espousal  of  the  Messiah  of  God, 
equally  as  public,  can  bring  them  within  the  reach  of 
pardon.  We  must  remember,  that  when  Peter 
spoke,  the  lines  were  so  sharply  drawn,  that  noth- 
ing short  of  being  publicly  baptized  in  His  name 
was  regarded  as  acknowledging  Him  as  the  Mes- 
siah. Hence,  the  answer  to  those  who  had  denied, 
and  who  would  now  acknowledge  Him  was:  'Re- 
pent, and  be  baptized,  every  one  of  you,  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  remission  of  sins, 
and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost.' 
This  public  acknowledgment  of  Jesus  as  the  Christ, 
would  bring  them  back  into  the  covenant  relation, 
which  they  had  violated,  and  take  off  the  curse  to 
which  they  had  so  wickedly  subjected  themselves 
and  nothing  else  would. 

"That  Peter  did  not  teach  nor  believe  that  bap- 
tism was  the  condition  of  pardon,  is  proved  as  fol- 
lows: Twelve  years  after  the  Jewish  Pentecost, 
came  the  Gentile  Pentecost.  Peter  was  at 
Joppa,  where  he  had  that  wonderful  vision  of  a 
great  sheet  let  down  from  Heaven,  full  of  all  man- 


184  RECOLLECTIONS. 

ner  of  beasts  and  creeping  things — and  he  heard  a 
voice  saying  unto  him:  'Slay  and  eat.'  He  an- 
swered: 'Not  so,  Lord,  for  nothing  common  or  un- 
clean hath  entered  into  my  mouth  at  any  time.' 
To  which  the  voice  responded:  'What  God  hath 
cleansed,  that  call  not  thou  common.'  Thrice  was 
this  repeated,  then  all  was  taken  up  again  into 
Heaven.  While  he  pondered  as  to  the  meaning 
of  the  vision,  three  men  called  at  the  gate,  and 
inquired  for  Peter.  The  spirit  said:  'Go  with 
them,  nothing  doubting.'  These  men  told  him 
of  this  visit  of  the  angel  to  Cornelius,  a  devout 
Gentile,  and  that  the  angel  directed  Cornelius  to 
send  to  Joppa  for  Peter,  who  should  tell  him  ( Cor- 
nelius) 'words  whereby  thou  and  all  thy  house 
shalt  be  saved.'  (Acts  VI. ,  14)  Peter  went;  but 
knowing  that  he  would  be  churched  for  it,  as  soon 
as  he  returned  to  Jerusalem,  he  took  with  him 
five  brethren.  On  arriving  at  Ceserea,  he  found 
that  Cornelius  had  called  his  friends  and  house- 
hold together  and  was  waiting  for  him.  As  Peter 
came  near  the  house,  he  was  met  by  Cornelius,  who 
explained  the  reason  for  his  sending  for  him,  and 
introduced  him  to  the  company.  Peter  commenced 
his  sermon  by  saying:  'Of  a  truth  I  perceive  that 
God  is  no  respecter  of  persons,  but  in  every  nation, 
he  that  feareth  God  and  worketh  righteousness  is 
accepted  of  Him.'  He  then  introduces  Christ, 
heralded  by  John,  who  healed  the  sick,  raised  the 
dead  and  went  about  doing  good;  was  crucified, 
raised  from  the  dead,  and  ordained  of  God  to  be  the 
judge  of  the  quick  and  the  dead.  'To  Him,'  says 


RECOLLECTIONS.  185 

Peter,  'give  all  the  prophets  witness,  that  through 
His  name,  whosoever  believeth  in  Him,  shall  re- 
ceive remission  of  sins.' 

"Mark  here!  First,  this  is  the  same  Peter  who 
preached  on  the  Pentecost,  twelve  years  before, 
and  then  opened  the  doors  of  the  church  to  the 
Jews.  Secondly,  he  is  now  preaching  the  first 
sermon  to  the  Gentiles.  Thirdly,  the  angel  had 
told  Cornelius  that  Peter  should  tell  him  words 
whereby  he  and  his  house  should  be  saved.  ( Acts 
VI.,  14.)  Fourthly,  .he  announced  the  condition — 
'Believeth' — 'Faith' — without  one  word  on  the  sub- 
ject of  baptism.  Fifthly,  as  soon  as  the  word  was 
uttered  it  was  heard;  as  soon  as  heard,  believed; 
and  as  soon  as  believed,  salvation  came  in  mighty 
power.  'The  Holy  Ghost  fell  on  them,'  says  Peter, 
'as  it  did  on  us  at  the  beginning.'  A  glorious  high 
land,  dry  land  conversion,  and  not  a  drop  of  water 
about  it!  And  if  you  will  read  each  case  of  con- 
version recorded  in  the  New  Testament  after  Pen- 
tecost, you  will  find  that  every  Jew  was  baptized 
before  he  was  converted,  and  that  every  Gentile 
was  converted  before  he  was  baptized.  Why  this  ? 
Because  the  Jew  was  under  the  curse  of  a  violated 
covenant,  while  the  Gentile  was  not.  This  shows, 
conclusively,  that  faith  was,  and  that  baptism  was 
not,  the  condition  of  Gentile  salvation. 

"I  will  now  prove  by  Peter  himself  that  faith 
was,  and  that  baptism  was  not  the  condition  of  the 
Jews'  salvation.  Ten  years  after  the  conversion  of 
Cornelius  and  twenty-two  years  after  the  Pente- 
cost, the  first  great  council  was  held  at  Jerusalem. 

13 


186  RECOLLECTIONS. 

Present:  the  apostles  and  elders,  Paul  and  Barna- 
bas, and  many  others.  The  question  to  be  settled 
was,  'Shall  the  Gentiles  be  circumcised  and  keep 
the  law  of  Moses V  (Acts  XV.)  The  controversy 
was  sharp,  as  the  record  proceeds  to  say  (verse  7): 
'And  when  there  had  been  much  disputing,  Peter 
rose  up  and  said,  'Men  and  brethren,  you  know 
how  that  a  good  while  ago,  God  made  choice  among 
us,  that  the  Gentiles  by  my  mouth  should  hear  the 
word  of  the  Gospel,  and  believe.  And  God  which 
knoweth  the  hearts,  bare  them  witness,  giving 
them  the  Holy  Ghost,  even,  as  He  did  to  us,  and 
put  no  difference  between  us  and  them — purify- 
ing their  hearts  by  faith.' 

"Four  things  are  here  to  be  noted.  First,  this 
was  the  same  Peter  who  had  preached  at  the  Pente- 
cost twenty-two  years  before.  Secondly,  here  he 
declares  that  the  hearts  of  the  Gentiles  were  puri- 
fied by  faith,  not  by  water  baptism.  Thirdly,  he 
also  states,  that  God  put  no  difference  between  us 
(Jews)  and  them  (Gentiles)  on  this  very  thing. 
Fourthly,  therefore,  if  the  hearts  of  the  Jews  were 
purified  by  water  baptism,  and  the  hearts  of  the 
Gentiles  by  faith,  then  God  did  put  a  difference 
between  the  two,  and  Peter  stated  what  was  not 
true.  But  if  Peter  told  the  truth,  then  the  Jews 
were  saved  by  faith  and  not  by  water  baptism,  and 
our  point  is  proved. 

"That  Peter  did  not  attribute  salvation  to  water 
baptism,  but  to  faith,  is  shown  by  his  own  declar- 
ation. When  some  thirty-three  years  after  the 
Pentecost,  and  not  long  before  his  death,  he  writes 


RECOLLECTIONS.  187 

his  general  epistle  to  the  strangers  scattered  abroad, 
he  congratulates  them  as  the  elect  of  God;  as  heirs 
of  an  incorruptible  and  eternal  inheritance;  as 
kept  by  the  power  of  God  through  faith;  as  having 
their  faith  tried  as  by  fire.'  And  then  adds,  speak- 
ing of  Christ,  'Whom,  having  not  seen,  ye  love;  in 
whom,  though  now  ye  see  Him  not,  yet  believing 
ye  rejoice  with  joy  unspeakable,  and  full  of  glory; 
receiving  the  end  of  your  faith,  even  the  salvation 
of  your  souls.'  This  certainly  settles  the  matter  so 
far  as  Peter  is  concerned,  that  the  soul  is  saved 
by  faith,  and  not  by  water  baptism. 

"But  if  it  be  urged  that  water  baptism  was,  on 
the  day  of  Pentecost,  taught  by  Peter  to  be  the 
condition  of  salvation,  I  will  now  prove  that  this, 
was  changed  at  a  subsequent  date,  and  by  a 
higher  authority  than  that  of  St.  Peter. 

"Four  years  after  the  Pentecost,  when  Saul  of 
Tarsus,  on  his  way  to  Damascus,  was  arrested  by 
the  power  of  God,  and  prostrated  to  the  ground, 
the  Savior  appeared  to  him  and  said  in  the  Hebrew 
tongue,  'Saul!  Saul!  Why  persecutest  thou  me?' 
He  answered,  'Who  art  thou,  Lord?'  To  which 
the  Master  answered,  'I  am  Jesus,  whom  thou  per- 
secutest! It  is  hard  for  thee  to  kick  against  the 
pricks.'  Trembling  with  fear,  Saul  cried  out: 
'Lord!  What  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do?' 

"Part  of  the  Savior's  answer  to  this  inquiry  is 
found  in  the  ninth  chapter  of  Acts,  and  part  in  the 
twenty-sixth  chapter,  as  follows:  'But  rise  and 
stand  upon  thy  feet,  for  I  have  appeared  to  thee  for 
this  purpose,  to  make  thee  a  minister  and  a  witness, 


188  RECOLLECTIONS. 

both  of  these  things  which  thou  hast  seen,  and  of 
those  things  in  the  which  I  will  appear  unto  thee ; 
delivering  thee  from  the  people,  and  from  the  Gen- 
tiles, unto  whom  now  I  send  thee.  To  open  their 
eyes,  and  to  turn  them  from  darkness  to  light,  and 
from  the  power  of  satan  unto  God,  that  they  may 
receive  forgiveness  of  sins  and  inheritance  among 
them  that  are  sanctified  by  faith,  that  is  in  me.' 

"Here,  then,  we  have  a  Gospel  ministry,  sent  to 
Jews  and  Gentiles,  proclaiming  this,  and  only  this, 
that  every  blessing  which  the  Gospel  brings,  from 
the  first  ray  of  light  flashed  into  the  understand- 
ing, to  the  full  fruition,  enjoyed  by  the  glory 
crowned  conqueror  in  Heaven,  is  obtained  by  faith 
in  Christ.  And  observe,  this  is  the  last  enactment 
which  Heaven  has  made  on  the  subject,  and  it  is 
from  the  highest  authority  in  the  universe  of  God. 
It  stands  an  irrefutable  demonstration  that  men 
are  to  receive  remission  of  sins,  and  inheritance 
among  them  which  are  sanctified  by  faith  and  not 
by  water  baptism.  This  glorious  arrangement 
opens  wide  the  gates  of  Gospel  grace;  and  who- 
soever will,  may  take  of  the  water  of  life,  without 
money  and  without  price.  So  rich  is  the  atone- 
ment, so  abounding  the  grace,  so  efficient  the 
spirit,  and  so  exactly  adapted  to  the  conditions  of 
humanity,  that  nothing  but  rejection  and  unbelief 
can  keep  men  out  of  Heaven.  The  world's  Re- 
deemer does  not  stop  to  inquire,  What  is  your 
name  ?  Where  have  you  been  ?  What  have  you 
done  ?  but, — What  is  your  faith  ?  And  just  so  soon 
as  the  humbled  and  penitent  heart  trusts  in  Christ, 


RECOLLECTIONS.  189 

his  sins  are  pardoned,  his  stains  washed  out,  his 
nature .  renewed,  and  he  becomes  a  child  of  God. 
Heaven  is  burdened  with  solicitude  for  man's 
salvation,  and  all  the  powers  of  hell  cannot  keep 
that  soul  away  from  Christ  who  desires  to  be  saved, 
on  Gospel  terms." 

This  sermon  was  wonderfully  owned  of  God,  and 
the  effect  was  abiding. 

In  the  afternoon,  Bro.  Dewit  preached,  and  in 
the  evening  I  spoke  again  from  Heb.  II.,  3, 
"How  shall  we  escape  if  we  neglect  so  great  salva- 
tion." Again  the  Lord  helped  me,  mightily.  Be- 
fore the  sermon  closed,  the  cries  of  the  penitents 
filled  the  house,  and  the  voice  of  the  preacher  was 
almost  drowned.  They  fell  on  their  knees  where 
they  were.  We  prayed  with  them  as  long  as  we 
could,  but  were  obliged  to  leave  them  the  next 
morning. 

But  the  Lord  cared  for  the  people.  A  good 
brother,  Harrison  Berry,  a  Cumberland  Presby- 
terian, a  friend  of  mine,  about  my  own  age  in  life, 
and  in  the  ministry,  carried  on  the  revival  which 
then  commenced,  until  between  three  and  four 
hundred  were  converted  in  this  and  adjoining 
neighborhoods. 


190  BECOLLECTIONS. 


CHAPTEK  XVII. 

TN  just  two  weeks,  according  to  a  previous  ar- 
rangement, I  went  with  Bro.  Win.  G.  Piper, 
(junior  preacher  on  Rushville  circuit)  to  .hold  a 
two  days'  meeting  on  the  ridge  between  Sugar 
creek  and  the  Illinois  river.  This  had  at  one  time 
been  an  appointment  on  the  circuit,  and  we  had 
had  there  a  large  class  but  some  had  died,  and  others 
had  moved  away,  and  a  few  had  joined  the  Cauip- 
bellites,  so  that  at  this  time  there  were  only  three 
or  four  persons,  in  the  neighborhood,  who  were 
trying  to  live  religiously  after  the  Methodist  pat- 
tern. But  the  country  was  well  settled  and  there 
were  many  young  people  whom  I  felt  sure  should 
be  cared  for  religiously. 

Uncle  George  Skiles  and  his  good  wife,  Aunt 
Molly,  who  were  surrounded  by  more  than  fifty  of 
their  children  and  grandchildren,  were  very  de- 
sirous that  I  should  hold  a  meeting  there.  And 
my  own  convictions  were  that  I  ought  to  go  and 
preach  to  these  people. 

Saturday  at  11  o'clock  A.  M.  we  had  a  large  and 
attentive  audience,  and  again  in  the  evening. 
Sabbath  morning  love-feast  was  followed  by  a 
sermon  in  which  I  again  discussed  the  conditions 


RECOLLECTIONS.  191 

of  pardon.  And  the  Lord  magnified  Himself  in 
His  word,  marvelously.  In  the  afternoon  Bro. 
Piper  preached  and  in  the  evening  there  was  a 
mighty  stir  and  there  were  three  clearly  and 
happily  converted.  This  roused  the  animosity  of 
the  Campbellites,  and  they  refused  us  the  use  of 
the  school  house,  when  we  proposed  to  stay 
another  day.  This  difficulty  was  soon  overcome, 
however,  as  Uncle  George  Skiles  quietly  remarked, 
that  we  could  have  his  house.  This  was  larger 
and  more  central  than  the  school  house.  So  on 
Monday  at  11  A.  M.  we  held  meeting  there;  Bro. 
Piper  preached  and  I  exhorted,  and  after  singing 
and  prayer  we  dismissed  the  people.  But  not  one 
would  leave;  all  sat  down  again,  many  weeping. 
When  I  saw  this,  I  began  to  sing: — 

"Oh,  when  shall  I  see  Jesus!" 

In  this  all  joined  heartily.  We  had  not 
sung  half  the  hymn  through,  when  a  young 
lady,  who  had  been  forward  for  prayer  the 
night  before,  arose  from  the  most  distant  corner 
of  the  house,  and  pressing  her  way  among  the 
closely  seated  people,  knelt  down  beside  where 
Bro.  Piper  and  myself  sat.  As  she  knelt,  I 
remarked  that  it  was  always  in  order  to  call  for 
mourners;  and  if  there  were  any  that  desired  to 
find  Christ,  let  them  come  forward.  To  my  sur- 
prise, every  unconverted  person  in  the  house,  with 
one  exception,  crowded  to  the  front  and  knelt 
down.  We  all  prayed.  The  place  seemed  filled 
with  God's  presence,  and  His  power  was  revealed 
in  a  most  wonderful  manner.  Soon  the  shouts  of 


192  EECOLLECTIONS. 

happy  Christians  and  rejoicing  converts,  made 
such  music  as  the  angels  of  God  delight  to  hear. 

After  about  half  an  hour  of  prayer  and  praise,  I 
heard  a  strange  sound  near  where  I  was  kneeling. 
Looking  around,  I  saw  "Old  Grandfather  Justice," 
Aunt  Molly's  father,  then  ninety-one  years  old, 
just  converted,  and  as  happy  as  he  could  be. 

"Bless  the  Lord !  Oh,  Bless  the  Lord!"  he  said, 
"I  shall  even  yet  get  to  Heaven!  I  shall!  I  shall!!" 

This  was  the  oldest  person  I  have  ever  seen  con- 
verted. He  had  joined  the  church  as  a  seeker — 
some  seventy  years  before,  in  East  Tennessee, — 
when  his  wife  was  converted,  and  who  had  lived  and 
died  a  Christian.  He  had  long  before  given  up  a 
religious  life;  but  still  affirmed  that  he  would  get 
to  Heaven.  "Because,"  said  he,  "the  Bible  says, 
'the  prayer  of  the  righteous  availeth  much.'  And 
if  there  is  a  righteous  person  on  earth,  it  is  my 
wife,  Molly;  and  she  prays  for  me  every  day." 
Four  years  after,  I  rode  from  Springfield,  a  dis- 
tance of  sixty  miles,  to  bury  the  old  gentleman. 
He  had  lived  the  four  years  as  a  Christian  and 
had  died  right. 

We  had  service  at  night  in  the  school  house.  I 
spoke  from  Deut.  XXX.,  19.  "I  call  Heaven  and 
earth  to  record  this  day  against  you  that  I  have 
set  before  you  life  and  death,  blessings  and  curs- 
ing: therefore  choose  life,  that  both  thou  and  thy 
seed  may  live." 

It  was  a  time  of  God's  convicting  power.  The 
crowd  was  so  great  that  room  at  the  mourners' 
bench,  could  only  be  obtained  for  ten  persons,  and 


RECOLLECTIONS.  193 

those  were  converted  in  less  than  twenty  minutes ; 
making  in  all,  since  Saturday,  between  twenty  and 
thirty  who  had  been  converted,  and  were  praising 
God  with  joyful  hearts. 

I  returned  to  Rushville  the  next  day.  But  the 
revival  went  on,  and  continued  for  more  than  two 
years,  spreading  through  several  neighborhoods, 
until  over  four  hundred  were  converted;  and 
among  them  four  or  five  who  became  preachers. 
Several  churches  were  also  raised  up  in  that  part 
of  the  country,  as  the  result. 

This  year  ended  very  pleasantly,  and  I  started 
for  conference,  which  was  held  at  Winchester, 
leaving  my  wife  comfortable  and  happy  with  a 
lovely  little  daughter  of  six  weeks.  But  the  day 
after  I  left  home,  our  little  Rebecca  was  taken  sud- 
denly and  seriously  ill  and  I  never  saw  her  again. 
When  I  returned  home,  I  found  that,  all  unknown 
to  me,  the  angels  had  carried  our  baby  to  the 
skies.  Our  home  was  emptier,  but  we  had  one 
more  in  Heaven. 

Before  leaving  for  conference,  I  had  told  the 
old  friends  in  the  Skiles  neighborhood  that  if  they 
would  have  everything  ready  for  a  camp-meeting, 
I  would  spend  a  few  days  with  them,  before  going 
to  my  next  appointment,  and  would  be  responsible 
for  the  preaching. 

The  conference  at  Winchester  was  a  very  happy 
one;  Bishop  Roberts,  presiding.  I  was  sent  to 
Peoria,  having  made  but  one  request  to  my  pre- 
siding elder,  and  that— that  I  judged  it  not  best 
for  myself  to  be  returned  to  Rushville.  According 


194  RECOLLECTIONS. 

to  promise,  accompanied  by  my  brother,  who  was 
bringing  his  wife  to  visit  her  sister,  we  proceeded, 
after  a  day  spent  together  at  my  home,  to  the 
camp-meeting.  The  brethren  had  made  wise  ar- 
rangements, and  advertised  it  well.  The  attend- 
ance was  large  and  the  meeting  a  much  greater 
success  than  was  anticipated. 

After  I  had  preached  on  Sabbath  at  11  o'clock 
A.  M.,  we  held  a  prayer  meeting  at  the  altar,  at 
which  the  power  of  God  fell  upon  the  people  in  a 
marvelous  manner.  Several  lost  their  strength; 
and,  among  others,  an  old  acquaintance  by  the 
name  of  Greer,  called  "Little  George  Greer."  He 
had  refused,  for  a  time,  to  come  forward  for  prayer; 
but  did  at  last  consent;  and  very  soon  after,  he 
fell  to  the  ground,  losing  his  strength  and  lying 
like  a  dead  man.  His  wife,  Martia,  was  very  much 
alarmed,  and  rushing  to  me  exclaimed  in  great 
distress: — 

"Bro.  Hobart,  What  is  the  matter  with  George? 
Will  he  die?" 
.   "Oh,  no:"  said  I,  "he  will  not  die!" 

"Well,"  said  she,  "you  have  got  him  into  this, 
and  now  you  must  get  him  out!" 

"No:"  I  replied,  "I  have  not  got  him  into  this, 
and  I  cannot  get  him  out.  The  Lord  has  done 
this,  and  He  only  can  bring  him  out." 

"What  shall  I  do?"  she  asked. 

"Just  sit  down  by  him,"  I  said,  "and  see  that 
his  position  is  natural,  and  then  sing  and  pray  for 
him." 

This  she  did.     And  in  an  hour  George  came  out 


RECOLLECTIONS.  195 

all  right,  and  about  as  happy  a  mortal  as  had  been 
seen  in  that  country  for  many  a  year.  The  meet- 
ing ended  with  a  march  around  the  ground,  with 
joyful  shouts  and  earnest  prayers.  There  were  be- 
tween forty  and  fifty  converted,  and  we  all  re- 
turned to  our  homes,  assured  that  God  had  been 
with  us,  and  had  given  us  good  success. 

The  following  week  my  wife  and  I  were  on  our 
way  to  Peoria.  I  arrived  there  a  stranger,  but 
soon  found  myself  among  friends.  I  also  found  a 
very  pleasant  little  society,  a  small  church  and 
everything  in  good  order,  as  left  by  my  predeces- 
sor, Rev.  N.  P.  Cunningham. 

My  first  sermon  was  from  Col.  I.,  28:  "Whom 
we  preach,  warning  every  man,  and  teaching  every 
man  in  all  wisdom ;  that  we  may  present  every 
man  perfect  in  Christ  Jesus." 

The  Lord  helped  me  and  I  was  at  once  received 
as  a  messenger  from  God.  A  revival  commenced 
almost  immediately,  attributable  to  the  faithful 
seed-sowing  of  my  predecessor  as  much  as  to  any 
effort  of  mine.  Our  little  church  was  always  well 
filled,  and  many  times,  was  uncomfortably  crowded. 
The  revival  spirit  continued  and  the  church  nearly 
doubled  its  membership  before  the  close  of  the 
year.  Some  who  had  been  known  as  desperately 
wicked,  were  converted  and  united  with  the  church : 
between  sixty  and  seventy. 

This  year  I  was  most  efficiently  aided  in  my 
labors  by  my  official  board:  Bros.  Bristol,  Parker, 
Dyvelbiss,  King,  Smith,  Knowlton  and  many  others, 
who  did  their  work  well.  Two  elect  ladies,  Sisters 


196  RECOLLECTIONS. 

Frye  and  Smith,  planned  their  departments  of 
labor  with  great  skill  and  success,  and  helped  me 
much. 

Among  the  many  very  pleasant  memories  of  the 
friends  in  Peoria,  is  that  of  Dr.  J.  C.  Frye,  son  of 
Rev.  Michael  Frye,  and  nephew  of  Revs.  Joseph 
and  Christopher  Frye,  of  Baltimore  conference. 
Dr.  Frye  is  one  of  nature's  noblemen,  a  manly, 
genial,  kindly  gentleman.  May  he  win  and  wear 
the  crown  of  life  eternal,  and  may  He  whom  we 
serve  reward  him  a  thousand  fold  for  his  many 
kindnesses  to  me  and  mine.  He  and  his  good  wife 
are  still  pressing  on. 

In  the  spring  it  was  thought  best  to  build  a  par- 
sonage. Money  was  scarce;  our  members  poor; 
lumber  hard  to  obtain.  But  a  good  Bro.  Wilson, 
who  lived  on  the  east  side  of  Peoria  lake,  four 
miles  from  town,  gave  us  liberty  to  get  out  the 
timber  on  his  land.  So  we  made  a  "frolic;"  that 
is,  some  twenty  or  thirty  of  us  went  over  and  cut 
and  hewed,  in  one  day,  enough  for  the  frame  of 
the  house.  This  was  rare  sport.  And  it  was  in- 
creased by  Bro.  Wilson's  finding  a  bee-tree,  while 
we  were  at  work;  and  we  were  soon  feasted  on 
butter  and  honey,  and  worked  with  a  will.  Very 
speedily  the  lumber  was  rafted  and  taken  down ; 
and  with  a  good  deal  of  volunteer  work  and  some 
donations,  when  I  left  Peoria,  at  the  close  of 
the  year,  the  parsonage  was  plastered,  almost  ready 
for  occupancy,  and  out  of  debt. 

The  next  year  conference  met  at  Quincy;  Bishop 
Andrews,  presiding.  The  same  whose  case  the 


RECOLLECTIONS.  197 

next  year  caused  such  a  furor  in  the  church,  and 
resulted  in  its  separation. 

The  session  was  harmonious,  and  to  me  a 
most  delightful  one;  affording  me  a  joyful  re-union 
with  both  preachers  and  people. 

My  presiding  elder,  Rev.  A.  E.  Phelps,  had 
intimated  that  I  should  return  to  Peoria,  and  as 
there  seemed  many  good  reasons  why  I  should, 
and  none  why  I  should  not,  I  expected  to  do  so. 
To  my  surprise  and  disappointment,  when  the  ap- 
pointments were  read,  I  found  myself  set  down  for 
Jacksonville  station.  I  was  astounded;  not  Jack- 
sonville! Surely  there  must  be  a  mistake!  So 
large  and  literary  and  well  educated  a  community, 
and  considered  the  best  appointment  in  the  con- 
ference! But  the  die  was  cast  and  there  was  no 
appeal ;  I  must  do  the  best  I  could. 

Hastening  back,  I  found  my  wife,  and  infant  son 
four  weeks  old,  well  and  prospering,  for  which  I 
was  devoutly  thankful.  After  naming  my  boy 
Joseph  Christopher  Frye,  for  my  friend,  Dr.  Frye, 
I  bid  my  many  friends  a  tearful  farewell  and 
hastened  to  my  work;  thus  concluding  a  very  hap- 
py and  successful  year  at  Peoria. 

I  was  most  cordially  received  at  Jacksonville, 
and  soon  became  fully  absorbed  in  my  duties 
there.  I  found  the  church  large,  including  a  good 
share  of  the  wealth  and  talent  of  the  place.  Our 
best  preachers  had  been  stationed  here  for  years, 
and  many  gracious  revivals  had  been  enjoyed. 
Yet  for  the  three  preceding  years,  a  very  bitter 
feeling  had  existed  between  some  leading  members 


198  RECOLLECTIONS. 

of  the  church,  and,  as  is  always  the  case,  the  feel- 
ing had  extended  to  the  church  members  generally, 
so  that  the  sympathies  of  nearly  all  were  on  one 
side  or  the  other. 

Faithful  efforts  had  been  made  by  our  wisest 
and  best  ministers,  and  by  my  predecessors  to  heal 
this  breach.  Church  trials  and  civil  suits  had 
been  instituted;  but  these  had  failed  to  bring 
peace.  A  few  months  before  my  appointment,  Rev. 
Peter  Cartwright  and  others  had  advised  that 
charges  and  suits  be  withdrawn;  and  all  parties 
had  agreed  to  say  no  more  about  the  trouble.  But 
I  soon  found  that,  although  tlir>  snake  was 
"scotched,"  he  was  not  dead  by  any  means.  I  saw 
the  principal  parties  in  the  case,  and  used  the  best 
wisdom  and  skill  I  had  to  heal  these  troubled 
waters,  but  found  that  it  was  impossible;  they 
were  still  bitter. 

I  concluded  after  a  while,  and  with  much  prayer 
and  reflection,  that  time  and  the  grace  of  God  could 
alone  effect  the  needed  cure.  I  therefore  addressed 
myself  to  the  great  work  of  preaching  the  Gospel, 
and  endeavored  to  build  up  the  church  in  right- 
eousness and  true  holiness.  How  well  I  succeeded, 
is  not  for  me  to  say.  But  the  facts  justify  me  in 
saying,  that  for  two  years  the  church  was  crowded 
with  hearers;  several  were  converted  and  the  mem- 
bership generally  gave  evidence  of  advancement  in 
the  divine  life. 

During  my  second  year,  I  succeeded  in  securing 
a  lot,  with  a  small  house  for  parsonage:  the  gift  of 
my  old  and  valued  friend,  W.  C.  Stribbling.  We 


RECOLLECTIONS.  199 

built  an  addition  of  two  stories  and  fitted  it  up  in 
good  order,  and  I  had  the  pleasure  of  leaving  a 
comfortable  parsonage  for  my  successor.  Soon 
after  being  settled  at  Jacksonville,  I  became 
acquainted  with  Rev.  W.  H.  Milburn,  since  known, 
both  in  Europe  and  America,  as  the  "blind 
preacher."  He  had  been  just  received  on  trial  in 
the  Illinois  conference  and  appointed  junior 
preacher  on  the  Winchester  circuit.  As  his  circuit 
lay  but  a  few  miles  west  of  Jacksonville,  his  home, 
a  good  part  of  his  time  was  spent  on  my  charge. 
Thus  we  spent  several  hours  of  each  week  together, 
and  there  sprang  up  between  us  a  friendship  like 
that  between  David  and  Jonathan. 

Bro.  Milburn  was  at  this  time  almost  boyish  in 
appearance;  but  even  then  the  brilliancy  of  his 
imagination  and  the  ease  and  fluency  of  his  lan- 
guage, were  an  astonishment  even  to  his  friends. 
Our  association  was  not  only  very  pleasant,  but  it 
was  to  each  of  us  mutually  profitable.  He  found 
in  me,  in  regard  to  sermonizing  and  studying,  just 
what  he  needed,  and  I,  in  him,  a  fountain  of  sun- 
shine and  joy,  and  lines  of  thought  which  I  had 
not  before  taken  up.  Since  then,  my  friend  has 
acquired  a  national  reputation  as  an  orator,  and 
has  fully  met  the  expectations  which  his  young 
manhood  promised. 

The  college  grounds  near  Jacksonville,  having 
been  nicely  seated  for  the  Commencement  exercises, 
we  arranged  to  hold  there,  on  the  4th  of  July, 
1844,  a  grand  union  Sunday  school  celebration. 

The  day  came,  everything  was  in  readiness,  and 


200  RECOLLECTIONS. 

the  city  in  expectancy.  At  the  appointed  hour,  a 
large  procession  of  children  and  teachers,  headed 
by  music  and  banners,  marched  to  the  beautiful 
college  grounds.  There  were  several  addresses 
made  by  learned  college  professors  and  others,  all 
of  whom  did  very  well;  after  which  "Billy  Mil- 
burn,"  was  announced  to  speak.  He  came  for- 
ward; and,  without  notes  or  manuscript,  for  about 
thirty  minutes  so  electrified  and  thrilled  that 
audience  of  thousands,  that  but  little  was  talked 
of,  or  indeed,  remembered,  of  any  other  address 
than  his. 

In  1845,  Gen'l.  Andrew  Jackson  had  died  at  the 
Hermitage,  near  Nashville,  Tenn.  And  as  was  to 
be  expected,  when  the  bitter  strife  of  partisan  poli- 
tics had  been  hushed  by  the  stillness  of  the  tomb, 
there  were  but  few  whose  hearts  did  not  prompt 
them  to  desire,  that  in  some  suitable  way  the 
nation  should  express  its  sense  of  sorrow,  and 
loss,  and  show  its  respect  for  the  memory  of  the 
mighty  dead. 

In  accordance  with  these  feelings  a  meeting  of 
citizens  was  called  at  Jacksonville — then  consid- 
ered the  Athens  of  Illinois — to  make  arrangements 
for  a  public  memorial  occasion.  It  was  there  decid- 
ed that  a  eulogy  should  be  delivered.  Who  should 
deliver  it?  was  a  much  more  difficult  question  to 
settle.  Many  propositions  were  made,  and  voted 
down.  For  as  the  talent  of  the  town  was  about 
equally  divided  between  the  Whigs  and  the  Demo- 
crats, neither  party  was  willing  to  give  the  other 
the  opportunity  of  speaking,  or,  of  making  capital 


RECOLLECTIONS.  201 

out  of  the  memorial  occasion.  It  was  finally 
moved  and  carried,  as  the  only  alternative  upon 
which  unanimity  of  action  could  be  reached,  that 
the  Methodist  minister  should  be  invited  to  pro- 
nounce the  eulogy.  A  committee  was  appointed 
to  wait  on  me,  and  report  my  answer  at  a  subse- 
quent meeting. 

In  reply  to  the  very  courteous  request  of  the 
committee,  I  told  them  that  I  felt  as  if  I  ought 
not  to  consent;  that  there  were  several  reasons 
why  I  should  not  fill  that  place: — 

General  Jackson  had  been  a  Democrat,  I  was  a 
Whig;  he  had  been  a  Presbyterian,  I  was  a  Meth- 
odist; he. had  been  a  politician  and  a  soldier,  while 
I  was  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel.  To  this  they  re- 
plied that  I  had  been  the  only  man  they  could 
agree  upon,  and  if  I  refused,  there  would  be  no 
eulogy.  As  this  seemed  the  fact,  I  then  said  that 
they  might  give  as  my  answer,  "If  it  be  the  unani- 
mous wish  of  the  community — and  no  one  else  can 
be  found,  I  will  reluctantly  consent."  The  time 
for  the  eulogy  had  been  fixed  for  about  the  tenth 
day  in  advance.  The  day  after  my  reply  to  the 
committee,  I  was  informed  that  Messrs.  McConnell 
and  Lambertson,  two  prominent  Democratic  law- 
yers of  the  town,  had  expressed  great  dissatisfac- 
tion with  the  arrangement  for  the  eulogy.  I  im- 
mediately wrote  a  note  to  the  committee,  stating 
that  as  I  had  consented  to  speak  on  condition  that 
the  request  was  unanimous,  and  had  been  in- 
formed that  certain  prominent  gentlemen  objected, 
they  would  please  consider  my  obligation  to  speak, 

u 


202  RECOLLECTIONS. 

cancelled.  This  produced  quite  an  excitement, 
and  disappointment  also.  The  Whigs  poured  out 
their  vials  of  wrath  on  the  Democrats,  and  they  in 
turn  emptied  their  indignation  on  poor  McConnell 
and  Lambertson.  So  fast  and  furious  had  the  ex- 
citement grown,  that  in  less  than  two  hours  after 
sending  my  note  to  the  committee,  these  two 
gentlemen  had  taken  the  shortest  and  quickest 
route  to  my  house.  And  in  the  most  direct  and 
courteous  manner,  said  to  me: — 

"Mr.  Hobart,  we  regret  very  much  having  said 
anything  on  the  subject  of  the  eulogy,  and  take  it 
all  back.  We  insist  most  earnestly  that  you  will 
speak!"  The  obstacles  being  thus  removed,  I 
again  consented  and  commenced  the  work  of  pre- 
paration. 

When  the  appointed  day  arrived,  it  was  as  fair 
and  beautiful  as  the  most  interested  could  desire. 
The  procession  was  more  than  a  mile  long,  and, 
with  muffled  drums  and  banners  draped,  we 
marched  to  the  appointed  place.  Hundreds  came 
from  other  cities  and  from  the  country  round, 
until  the  assemblage  numbered  several  thousands. 
Prayer  was  offered  by  Dr.  Todd,  of  the  Presby- 
terian church. 

My  discourse  I  cannot  give  as  it  was  never 
written,  but  the  following  points  were  made 
prominent: 

First — The  proof  which  this  occasion  furnished 
that  the  nation  was  really  one  at  heart;  that  al- 
though party  strife  was  now  and  then  fierce  and 
bitter,  yet  below  this,  there  was  a  unity  of  senti- 


RECOLLECTIONS.  203 

ment  which  only  needed  a  proper  occasion  to  call 
it  forth,  and  that  this  was  an  encouraging  fact  in 
our  national  life.  Like  the  great  ocean,  the  sur- 
face may  be  lashed  into  fury  and  foam,  but  the 
depths  below  remained  undisturbed. 

Secondly — General  Jackson  as  a  man  and  a 
citizen;  a  brief  biography  of  his  life,  from  his 
birth  in  North  Carolina,  A.  D.,  1767,  until  his 
death  at  the  Hermitage,  in  1845. 

Thirdly — General  Jackson,  as  a  soldier  tracing 
his  war  record,  from  his  refusal  to  black  the  boots 
of  the  British  officer  in  Revolutionary  times,  to 
the  conclusion  of  the  Seminole  war,  1817-18. 

Fourthly — General  Jackson,  as  a  politician,  the 
great  central  figure  of  Democratic  laudation  and  of 
Whig  hate;  arbitrarily  removing  the  deposits  from 
the  U.  S.  Bank;  and  vetoing  the  charter  of  that 
bank.  His  honesty  andjsincerity  made  apparent  by 
the  fact,  that  had  he  signed  that  charter,  his  sup- 
port for  the  presidency  would  have  been  almost 
unanimous ;  while  by  vetoing  it  he  would  and  did 
array  against  himself  not  only  all  the  monied 
power  of  the  Bank  but  nearly  the  entire  monied 
interest  of  the  country.  Yet,  in  view  of  all  these 
facts,  he  vetoed  the  charter,  which  had  passed 
both  houses  of  congress  and  then  took  an  appeal 
to  the  judgment  of  the  people,  in  suffering  him- 
self to  run  for  a  second  presidential  term.  That 
election  came,  and  he  was  triumphantly  sustained 
by  the  popular  vote.  "And,"  said  the  speaker, 
"if  the  old  adage  'Vox  populi,  vox  De?  be  true, 


204  EECOLLECTIONS. 

then  his  action  was  approved  both  by  God  and 
men." 

Lastly — he  was  looked  upon  as  a  Christian. 
Naturally  of  a  fearless  nature,  and  living  in  a 
community  and  in  an  age  where  fighting,  swearing, 
gambling  and  duelling  were  hardly  regarded  as 
crimes,  or  as  out  of  harmony  with  the  character  of 
a  gentleman,  he  had  become  notorious  in  these 
practices,  and  yet  he  had  always  respected  Chris- 
tianity and  its  ministers.  When  he  had  filled 
more  positions  of  honor  and  trust,  than  any  other 
citizen  of  the  United  States  ever  had,  or  would 
ever  be  likely  to  fill — full  of  days  and  of  honors — he 
calmly  and  deliberately  gave  his  last  years  to  the 
service  of  God.  He  united  with  the  Presbyterian 
church — than  which  no  more  patriotic  church  has 
existed. 

Among  the  several  lessons  which  this  act  of  his 
life  furnished,  was  this  one,  that  it  was  a  perfect 
refutation  of  the  slur,  which  Infidelity  sometimes 
urges  against  Christianity;  namely,  that  men  were 
moved  to  profess  religion  by  fear.  "For,"  said  I, 
"Satan,  the  father  of  lies,  never  dared  even  to  inti- 
mate that  General  Jackson  was  moved  or  awed  by 
fear."  The  eulogy  terminated  as  follows:— 

"And  now  fellow  citizens,  I  cannot  better  con- 
clude my  remarks  than  by  uttering  a  sentiment  in 
which  I  am  sure  we  can  all  unite:  Peace  to  his 
ashes,  honor  to  his  memory,  and  rest  to  his  soul!" 
Of  course  a  vote  of  thanks  was  tendered.  And  a 
copy  of  the  eulogy  requested  for  publication. 


BECOLLECTIONS.  205 

But  I  could  give  none  as  there  never  was,  and 
never  will  be  a  copy. 

I  felt  some  solicitude  as  to  how  I  had  succeeded 
in  the  estimation  of  the  different  political  ele- 
ments; well  knowing  that  it  was  a  difficult  matter 
to  say  enough  to  please  the  admirers  of  the 
General  and  not  at  the  same  time  to  offend  those 
who  were  opposed  to  him.  I  received  many  con- 
gratulations 011  my  effort  and  have  never  heard  an 
adverse  criticism;  though,  doubtless,  there  might 
have  been  some. 

About  a  week  afterwards,  a  friend  of  mine,  who 
was  present  on  the  occasion  of  my  speech,  called 
on  me  and  stated  that  a  friend  of  his,  but  a 
stranger  to  me,  had  asked  him  quite  earnestly, 
who  that  Methodist  preacher  was,  who  delivered 
that  eulogy  on  Jackson.  Being  informed,  he 
replied:  "Well,  I  heard  Col.  Wright  at  St.  Louis, 
and  Ed.  Baker  at  Springfield,  but  I'll  be  blest  if 
that  Methodist  preacher,  didn't  beat  both  of 
them!!"  As  Col.  W.  was  the  best  stump  speaker 
in  Missouri,  and  Ed.  Baker  as  good  as  Illinois 
could  produce,  I  was  willing  of  course  to  let  it  go 
that  way. 

At  the  close  of  two  most  delightful  years,  I 
bade  farewell  to  my  many  friends  at  Jacksonville 
— most  of  them  now  on  the  other  shore — and  soon 
found  myself  and  family  comfortably  settled  in  a 
pleasant  parsonage  at  Springfield,  to  which  station 
I  had  been  appointed  by  Bishop  Morris  at  the 
conference  of  1845.  Warmly  welcomed  and  ably 
seconded  by  my  official  board,  the  year's  work 


206  RECOLLECTIONS. 

opened  encouragingly.  Early  in  the  year  there 
were  indications  of  a  coming  shower  of  blessing. 
In  this  we  were  not  disappointed.  We  commenced 
a  protracted  meeting  in  December,  which  con- 
tinued about  two  weeks  and  resulted  in  the  con- 
version of  forty-five;  some  having  previously 
joined  as  seekers,  and  a  few  uniting  with  other 
churches.  In  the  same  month,  I  held  a  three 
days'  meeting  at  Horse  creek,  at  which  nine  were 
converted,  and  a  good  religious  influence  was 
awakened,  which  spread  through  the  neighbor- 
hood. 

On  Jan.  11,  1846,  I  was  called  to  preach  the 
funeral  sermon  of  a  child  of  Rev.  Richard  Bird, 
the  circuit  preacher.  I  spoke  from  I.  Cor.  III., 
21,  23.  "Therefore  let  no  man  glory  in  men:  for  all 
things  are  yours.  Whether  Paul,  or  Apollos,  or 
Cephas,  or  the  world,  or  life,  or  death,  or  thinge 
present,  or  things  to  come;  all  are  yours.  And  ye 
are  Christ's;  and  Christ  is  God's." 

The  large  church  was  full  to  overflowing  and 
great  grace  was  resting  on  both  preacher  and 
people.  While  speaking  of  death  as  "ours,"  to 
introduce  us  into  the  unspeakable  glories  of  life 
eternal,  a  good  Presbyterian  sister,  who  had  re- 
cently buried  a  lovely  child,  sprang  to  her  feet  and 
began  to  praise  and  shout  in  the  old  Methodist 
style,  much  to  the  astonishment  of  those  of  her 
own  church  who  were  present,  and  greatly  to  the 
pious  edification  of  the  Methodists,  who  thought 
it  perfectly  orthodox  and  proper.  The  good 
sister,  after  her  first  exclamations  of  joy  and  praise, 


RECOLLECTIONS.  207 

with  her  face  all  bathed  in  tears,  yet  radiant  with 
delight,  tried  to  apologize  by  saying,  "I  can't  help 
it!  Oh,  brethren,  I  can't  help  it!  I  am  so  en- 
raptured with  the  thought  of  meeting  my  dear 
ones  in  Heaven!" 

In  the  winter  of  1845-6,  Dr.  Elliott,  then  editor 
of  the  "Western  Christian  Advocate,"  gave  us 
some  stirring  editorials  on  China  as  a  mission  field. 
These  roused  my  soul;  and  I  proposed,  through 
that  paper,  to  be  one  of  a  hundred  to  give  ten  dol- 
lars each  to  send  a  missionary  to  China.  This 
sum  I  forwarded.  Several  of  my  own  congregation 
also  responded,  and  others  from  different  places. 
This,  so  far  as  I  know,  was  the  first  money  con- 
tributed for  a  China  M.  E.  mission,  or  for  a  China 
mission  of  any  protestant  denomination  in  America. 
Little  did  I  then  think  how  wonderously  this  en- 
terprise was  to  succeed,  or  of  the  glorious  spread 
of  the  work  in  China;  still  less,  that  my  youngest 
born,  my  Willie,  would  at  this  time  (1885)  be  the 
Eev.  W.  T.  Hobart,  of  the  "North  China  Mission," 
living  in  Peking;  with  a  large  Chinese  circuit; 
preaching  the  everlasting  Gospel  in  that  strange 
language  to  Christian  Chinamen ;  and  reporting  as 
the  result  of  their  conference  work  last  year  in 
that  charge,  a  hundred  baptized  and  many  con- 
verted. And  as  I  think  of  the  small  beginnings, 
and  the  four  promising  conferences  of  our  own 
church,  now  in  that  mighty  empire,  I  bless  the 
Lord  and  look  forward  to  the  great  triumphal 
shout  of  the  arch-angel  when  he  shall  announce 
that  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  have  become  the 


208  RECOLLECTIONS. 

kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  His  Christ.  And  I  am 
devoutly  grateful  that  I  was  counted  worthy  to 
have  a  ehare  in  the  starting  of  the  China  mission; 
and  that  I  have  a  son  whom  the  Master  has  counted 
worthy  to  be  called  into  that  promising  mission 
field. 

My  year  in  Springfield  was  a  very  encouraging 
one.  Among  the  friends  who  there  made  our  social 
life  very  enjoyable,  I  recall  the  names  of  Judge 
Logan,  N.  Edwards,  Drs.  Todd  and  McNeil,  Bro. 
Roberts,  the  Bros.  Matheny,  Jno.  Condell,  Judge 
Mathers,  and  many  others. 

While  I  was  stationed  in  Springfield,  Illinois  was 
called  upon  by  the  war  department  to  furnish  one 
or  more  regiments  for  the  Mexican  war;  and  these 
were  to  rendezvous  at  that  city,  one  company  being 
raised  there.  In  this  company  were  several  mem- 
bers of  our  charge,  and  in  it  the  citizens  manifested 
much  interest.  Soon  after  the  soldiers  had  left 
for  Jefferson  barracks,  below  St.  Louis,  the  ladies 
of  the  city  raised  over  one  hundred  dollars  with 
which  to  purchase  a  flag  for  our  company,  and  I 
was  appointed  as  their  committee  not  only  to  select 
the  flag  but  to  make  the  presentation  speech  in 
their  name.  This  very  pleasant  duty  was  per- 
formed. Afterwards  a  Sabbath  was  spent  at  the 
barracks,  where  I  was  requested  to  preach.  After 
the  sermon,  the  officers  met,  and  so  far  as  their 
action  could  determine  the  matter,  I  was  elected 
chaplain  of  the  regiment.  As  this  had  to  be  con- 
firmed by  higher  authority,  in  the  great  hurry  of 
organizing  and  embarking  the  army  at  New  Or- 


ItECOLLECTIONS.  209 

leans,  the  matter  was  overlooked  and  I  heard 
nothing  more  of  it.  So  near  did  I  come  to  partici- 
pating in  the  Mexican  war. 

Abraham  Lincoln  was  then  as  popular,  socially, 
in  Springfield,  as  he  afterwards  became  nationally ; 
and  he,  whom  the  world  now  honors  as  the  grand 
war  president  and  the  great  emancipator  of  the 
slaves  of  the  United  States,  was  then  and  there 
well  known  for  his  genial  nature,  his  natural  wit, 
his  sterling  integrity,  his  originality,  his  honesty 
and  ability. 

I  became  impressed,  during  niy  stay  in  Spring- 
field, with  the  conviction  that  I  ought  to 
go  further  north.  After  much  prayer,  I  wrote 
to  niy  friend,  Rev.  Richard  Haney,  then  a 
member  of  the  Rock  River  conference,  saying 
that  if  at  the  ensuing  Illinois  and  Rock  River 
conferences,  (at  each  of  which  Bishop  Hamline 
was  to  preside)  it  should  be  thought  best  by  him,  I 
would  like  to  transfer  to  the  Rock  River  conference. 
I  wrote  this  letter  four  weeks  before  the  time  of 
the  Rock  River  conference  session;  and  when  I 
received  a  reply,  it  was  to  tell  me  that  I  had  been 
transferred,  and  was  appointed  to  "Clarke  Street," 
Chicago,  then  the  largest  Methodist  church  in  the 
State.  This  was  accompanied  by  a  note  from 
Bishop  Hamline,  saying  that  I  must  hasten  to  my 
appointment,  without  waiting  for  the  meeting  of 
the  Illinois  conference.  This  rather  afflicted  me, 
for,  if  I  had  thought  in  transferring  that  there  was 
any  possibility  of  my  being  sent  to  Chicago,  I  cer- 
tainly should  not  have  asked  to  be  transferred, 


210  RECOLLECTIONS. 

and  now  it  was  too  late  to  alter  it  Before  getting 
ready  for  our  journey,  however,  I  attended  our 
camp-meeting  as  previously  arranged.  We  had  a 
blessed  time.  On  Sabbath  afternoon  I  preached 
on  "Justification  by  Faith;"  and  at  the  altar  prayer 
meeting,  immediately  following,  twenty-seven  were 
converted. 

With  considerable  effort  in  getting  ready  we 
were  able  to  take  the  stage  (then  the  only  way  of 
traveling)  on  the  next  Friday  morning,  for  Peoria. 
Here  we  had  a  delightful  re-union  with  our  old 
friends,  being  entertained  at  the  hospitable  home 
of  my  dear  friend,  Dr.  Frye.  On  Monday  morning 
early  we  again  took  the  stage  for  Chicago.  We 
traveled  continuously  until  Tuesday  evening,  when 
arriving  very  weary  and  with  no  little  anxiety,  we 
were  met  and  warmly  welcomed  by  the  brethren. 
We  were  kindly  cared  for  at  the  home  of  Bro.  Wm. 
Wheeler,  who,  with  his  noble  wife,  spared  no  pains 
in  making  us  feel  at  home,  until  the  parsonage 
could  be  made  ready  for  our  occupancy. 


EECOLLECTIONS.  211 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

n7HE  first  M.  E.  church  of  Chicago,  since  called 
and  ever  to  be  known  as  "Clarke  Street,  M.  E. 
church,"  was  organized,  not  as  "Clarke  Street,"  but 
as  the"Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Chicago." 
This  was  in  1833,  and  the  first  quarterly  meeting 
for  that  charge  was  held  in  the  fall  of  that  year. 

Good  men  and  true  had  filled  the  pulpit  from 
the  first,  and  among  them,  the  saintly  and  sainted 
Peter  R.  Borein  of  whom  I  have  already  written, 
and  of  whom  I  might  write  much  more.  His 
labors  in  the  church  at  Chicago  will  always  be  re- 
membered by  those  who  knew  him,  as  a  benedic- 
tion; and  his  life  as  exemplifying  the  spirit  of  his 
divine  Master.  His  last  sermon  was  on  the  vision 
of  the  dying  Stephen.  His.  own  departure  fol- 
lowed in  a  few  days  after. 

I  found  the  membership  of  "Clarke  Street,"  large; 
and  a  good  deal  of  earnest,  active,  religious  life. 
Many  of  the  members  were  from  New  England 
and  New  York,  arid  their  habits  and  church 
life,  were  of  a  more  quiet  and  less  demon- 
strative character,  than  that  which  had  prevailed 
at  the  west.  The  seats  were  rented.  The  singing 
was  led  by  a  choir;  instrumental  music  being  part 


212  RECOLLECTIONS. 

of  the  regular  Sabbath  service.  This  was  all  new 
to  me;  aiid  it  seemed  at  first  cold,  formal  and  uii- 
homelike.  Cut  as  these  things  had  been  intro- 
duced and  borne  by  my  predecessor,  Eev.  W.  M. 
D.  Ryan,  and  the  majority  of  the  membership 
favored  them,  I  thought  that  I  would  do  the  best 
I  could  and  not  disturb  these  forms  of  church 
service,  though  distasteful  to  me,  personally. 

I  soon  found  my  place  a  most  difficult  one  to 
fill.  The  presiding  elder,  James  Mitchell,  who 
was  now  in  his  second  year  as  elder,  had  deter- 
mined that  the  instrumental  music  and  the  renting 
of  the  pews  should  be  broken  up.  He  therefore 
informed  me  that  my  official  board,  (a  band  of 
noble  men)  were  disloyal  to  Methodist  discipline 
and  to  Methodist  usage;  that  they  were  willful, 
and  were  determined  to  rule  or  ruin  the  church; 
and,  what  was  in  his  eyes  still  worse,  that  they 
were  constantly  in  the  habit  of  slandering  and 
traducing  the  presiding  elder.  He  also  instructed 
me  that  I  must  fight  them;  "fight  like  a  bull-dog" 
were  his  words.  Must  resist  them  and  their  views; 
in  fact,  that  I  must  follow  his  wishes  and  pay  no 
attention  to  those  of  my  official  board. 

To  me,  who  had  known  only  reverence  and  love 
for  my  presiding  elders,  heretofore,  and  who  had 
enjoyed  uninterrupted  harmony  with  my  brethren, 
both  in  the  official  boards  and  out  of  them,  all  my 
life  so  far,  this  was  a  horrid  condition  of  things. 
And  to  be  placed  in  its  midst,  distressing  and  tor- 
turing beyond  expression.  Just  as  soon  as  I 
fairly  saw  the  state  of  discordance  between  the 


EECOLLECTIONS.  213 

presiding  elder  and  the  church,  I  begged  him  to 
change  me,  and  send  me  to  some  other  place.  But 
this  he  would  not  do.  So  that  I  was  reduced  to 
the  alternative  of  leaving  the  work  to  which  I  had 
been  appointed,  vacating  on  my  own  responsibility ; 
or  of  remaining  and  relying  on  the  grace  of  God, 
to  be  faithful  to  duty  and  do  the  best  I  could, 
under  these  trying  circumstances.  The  last  I  de- 
cided to  do.  And  I  went  through  the  year,  bear- 
ing a  burden,  which  seemed  sometimes  as  if  it 
would  crush  me;  steadily  attending  to  the  work  of 
a  Methodist  preacher,  and  the  building  up  of  the 
church  of  God.  Notwithstanding  all  these  diffi- 
culties, God  gave  us  a  good  year  in  "Clarke  Street." 
We  had  an  excellent  revival  and  a  time  of  refresh- 
ing from  our  God  during  the  winter.  Between 
forty  and  fifty  were  converted,  and  many  added  to 
the  church.  And  a  number,  who  were  members  of 
the  church,  entered  into  the  blessed  assurance  of 
perfect  love ;  many  others  also  in  the  church,  who 
had  once  enjoyed  the  blessing,  were  able  to  regain 
the  consciousness  of  a  clean  heart. 

During  this  revival  I  experienced  a  difficulty  not 
unfrequently  met  with;  that  is,  a  large  audience 
remaining  to  look  on  at  the  altar  services  to  the 
great  embarrassment  of  the  penitent  and  the  seek- 
ers. To  overcome  this,  on  one  evening  after  a 
hard  struggle  with  this  element  of  inaction  and 
hindrance,  I  appointed  a  meeting,  for  eight  o'clock 
the  next  morning,  in  the  parlor  of  the  parsonage. 
And  I  emphatically  stated  that  those  only  were 
invited  who  were  earnestly  seeking  the  Savior, 


214  RECOLLECTIONS. 

and  those  who  were  willing  to  unite  with  such  in 
earnest  prayer.  At  the  appointed  time  there  were 
about  forty  present,  ten  of  whom  were  seekers. 

It  was  a  season  of  unusual  solemnity.  God's 
power  was  wonderfully  felt  and  in  about  thirty 
minutes  eight  were  converted;  and  we  had  a 
blessed  time  of  praise  and  thanksgiving  and  re- 
joicing before  our  God.  Brother  Clarke,  one  of 
our  class  leaders,  noted  for  his  calm,  quiet,  re- 
ligious life,  jumped  to  his  feet,  and  began  to  rush 
up  and  down  the  room,  exclaiming: — 

"Brother  Hobart!  Brother  Hobart!!  What  is  the 
matter  with  me?  What  is  the  matter  with  me?" 

At  the  close  of  our  meeting,  when  we  came  to 
sum  up  the  results  of  that  mighty  baptism,  the 
record  of  which  will  not  be  forgotten  in  this  world 
or  in  the  next,  we  found  that  every  seeker  had 
been  converted,  and  more  than  twelve  were  rejoic- 
ing in  the  blessing  of  a  clean  heart. 

A  singular  circumstance  occurred  in  connection 
with  my  pastoral  work  while  in  Chicago.  I  found 

on  the  church  record  the  name  of  a  Miss  M ,  a 

probationer  who  had  been  converted  during  the 
preceding  summer,  and  who  was  a  member  of  Bro. 
Shaw's  class.  I  learned  from  her  class  leader  that 
up  to  a  short  time  before  my  coming,  she  had  been 
very  regular  in  her  attendance  on  the  means  of 
grace.  But  after  making  diligent  inquiry  from  her 
leader  and  others,  I  could  not  find  her,  and  con- 
cluded that  she  had  left  the  city.  In  the  spring, 
however,  she  returned  and  reported  herself  to  her 
class  leader  and  to  the  preacher;  having,  while 


RECOLLECTIONS.  215 

absent,  been  engaged  at  work  in  the  country;  and 
had,  during  the  time,  attended  a  Methodist  church 
near  by,  and  was  in  joyful  fellowship  with  the 
Lord.  Soon  after  her  return,  she  was  married,  and 
in  a  few  months  after  taken  seriously  ill  with 
pleurisy.  Medical  skill  was  of  no  avail  to  arrest 
the  disease,  and  after  lingering  for  a  short  time 
she  died.  In  about  thirty  hours  after  her  apparent 
death,  preparations  having  been  made  for  placing 
her  in  the  coffin,  she  awoke,  or  returned  to  con- 
sciousness and  life,  happy  beyond  description. 
Almost  the  first  words  spoken  by  her  were,  that 
she  had  only  a  few  hours  to  stay.  Soon  after  she 
went  on  to  say  to  the  many  friends  who  were 
present  (and  among  whom  were  her  class  leader, 
and  Sisters  Wheeler  and  Whitehead,  besides  other 
reliable  Christians)  that  when  she  died  she  was 
accompanied  by  an  escort  of  angels  into  the  im- 
mediate presence  of  her  Savior,  who  welcomed  her 
to  Heaven;  that  she  saw  many  there  whom  she 
knew  and  who  knew  her;  that  she  asked,  amid  her 
great  joy,  permission  to  return  to  earth  to  bid  her 
friends  farewell,  and  then  to  come  back  im- 
mediately. When  asked  how  Heaven  looked,  she 
replied : — 

"I  have  no  words  that  can  describe  it.  Nothing 
I  have  ever  seen  or  thought  of,  could  be  compared 
with  it!" 

When  asked  if  she  did  not  wish  to  stay  here, 
with  her  husband  and  her  friends,  she  answered: — 

"Oh,  no!  no!  no!  Heaven  is  too  glorious!    None 


216  RECOLLECTIONS. 

who  had  been  there  would  think,  for  a  moment, 
of  remaining  here." 

To  Bro.  Shaw,  her  class  leader,  when  he  entered 
the  room,  she  said: — 

"Bro.  Shaw,  I  saw  your  wife  in  Heaven;  she 
gave  me  this  message  to  you."  And  she  gave  him 
the  message. 

A  singular  thing  about  this  was  that  she  had 
never  met  Sister  Shaw  here,  that  lady  having  died 
a  year  or  so  before.  She  remained  about  twelve 
hours,  without  any  apparent  suffering;  every 
breath,  almost,  being  one  of  praise  and  rejoicing. 
She  then  bade  her  friends  farewell  and  in  an  ex- 
tacy  of  praise  and  holy  triumph,  passed  away. 
This  was  told  me  by  several  who  were  present, 
when  I  came  back  to  the  house  where  she  lay, 
having  been  called  out  of  the  city,  and  returning 
but  a  few  moments  after  her  triumphant  departure. 
Her  funeral  was  largely  attended  and  I  buried  her 
in  the  city  cemetery. 

In  the  summer  of  1847,  the  first  "National  River 
and  Harbor  Convention"  was  held  in  Chicago,  at 
that  time  a  city  of  about  twenty-eight  thousand. 
A  large  pavilion  was  erected  on  the  public  square, 
where  the  court  house  now  stands.  This  build- 
ing, which  was  designed  to  seat  between  twenty 
and  thirty  thousand,  was  finished  on  Saturday,  and 
the  convention  was  to  meet  on  Monday. 

As  we  were  going  though  the  immense  struc- 
ture, I  remarked  to  some  of  the  gentlemen,  that 
as  there  were  so  many  strangers  in  the  city,  the 
pavilion  ought  to  be  utilized  by  having  preaching 


EECOLLECTION8.  217 

there  the  next  day  (Sunday).  Bro.  Orrington 
Lunt.  at  once  turned  to  me  and  said:  "Will  you 
preach  here  to-morrow?" 

"Why,  yes,"  I  replied.  "I  will,  if  there  is  no 
other  one  to  do  it." 

Bro.  Lunt  immediately  sent  out  announcements 
through  the  papers,  that  Rev.  C.  Hobart  would 
preach  on  Sunday  at  the  pavilion,  at  10:30  A.  M. 

The  hour  came,  beautiful  and  bright,  and  with 
it  to  the  pavilion,  some  thirty  thousand  people. 
The  chorister  of  the  M.  E.  church  had  collected  a 
large  number  of  excellent  singers,  who  made  a  fine 
appearance  and  rendered  good  service  on  the  occa- 
sion. After  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures  and 
prayer  and  the  singing  of  that  grand  old  hymn: 

"Before  Jehovah's  awful  throne," 

with  wonderful  power  and  effect  by  the  choir  and 
the  audience,  I  took  for  my  text  Isaiah  I.,  2-3: 
"Hear,  O  Heavens,  and  give  ear,  O  earth:  for  the 
Lord  hath  spoken;  I  have  nourished  and  brought 
up  children,  and  they  have  rebelled  against  me. 
The  ox  knoweth  his  owner,  and  the  ass  his  master's 
crib:  but  Israel  doth  not  know,  my  people  doth  not 
consider." 

I  endeavored  to  impress  the  following  thoughts: 
First — "Children  nourished  and  brought  up"- 
drawing  the  analogy  between  Israel  and  America: 
Each  oppressed  in  foreign  lands — Each  led  out  by 
the  Almighty — Heathen  cast  out  before  them — 
Each  given  a  goodly  land — And  each  favored  with 
privileges  enjoyed  by  none  others. 

15 


218  RECOLLECTIONS. 

Secondly — These  cherished  children  "rebelled:" 
By  forgetting  God — By  giving  their  affections  to 
other  things — By  breaking  God's  law:  the  law  of 
the  Sabbath,  the  law  of  veracity,  the  law  forbidding 
profanity,  the  law  forbidding  the  oppression  of 
persons  and  nations. 

Thirdly — Characteristics  of  this  rebellion :  Un- 
necessary —  Uncalled  —  Ungrateful  —  Absurd  and 
ruinous. 

The  Master  gave  me  unusual  liberty  and  I  was 
enabled  to  declare  the  whole  counsel  of  God.  I 
want  to  record  that  on  this  occasion  I  was  lifted 
far  above  myself.  I  wras  conscious  only  of  being 
an  ambassador  from  God  to  that  immense  audience 
of  responsible  humanity.  There  was  a  wonderful 
stillness  and  attention  on  the  part  of  that  great 
assemblage,  so  much  so  that  so  far  as  is  known, 
not  an  individual  left  his  seat  until  the  services 
were  concluded.  Many  kind  things  were  after- 
wards said  to  the  preacher  by  appreciative  friends 
on  the  effort  made.  But  of  them  all,  one,  repeated 
by  a  number,  abides  with  me  and  is  a  source  of 
pleasure  as  to  the  result.  It  was  this,  that  the 
next  day,  all  through  the  excitement  of  that  great 
convention,  "not  an  oath  was  heard,  neither  in  the 
pavilion  nor  on  the  streets." 

At  the  temporary  organization  of  Monday  morn- 
ing, an  elderly  gentleman  from  Rhode  Island, 
Prof.  -  — ,  mentioned  to  some  of  the  gentlemen 
present  that  if  desired  he  would  open  with  prayer. 
And  he  was  requested  to  do  so.  When,  coming  to 
the  platform,  he  read  a  prayer,  which  had  been 


RECOLLECTIONS.  219 

previously  written.  At  the  conclusion  of  this  he 
remarked  that  if  there  were  no  objection  he  would 
address  the  assembly.  Permission  being  granted, 
he  spoke;  but  not  upon  the  great  national  interests 
which  had  called  the  convention  together,  but  up- 
on Khode  Island  and  the  glories  of  New  England 
and  the  "Pooritans."  Sectional  glorification,  just 
at  that  time,  was  what  all  men  of  sense  wanted 
kept  in  abeyance;  but  on  went  the  speaker,  claim- 
ing that  almost  everything  of  worth  in  the  nation 
had  originated  with  the  "Pooritans."  At  the  con- 
clusion of  this  harangue,  there  was  a  general  feel- 
ing -  of  mortification  and  disgust,  and  it  seemed 
evident  that  something  must  be  done  to  turn  the 
tide  of  thought  in  a  happier  channel.  At  that 
moment  some  one  fortunately  called  out: — 

"Tom  Corwin!" 

Governor  Corwin,  of  Ohio,  who  led  the  delega- 
tion from  that  State,  was  then  in  his  very  prime, 
and  who  the  best  stump  speaker  in  America.  On 
hearing  this  call  for  his  appearance,  he  had 
crouched  down  as  low  as  possible  as  if  he  would 
hide  himself  from  observation.  But  vain  were  his 
efforts  to  conceal  himself.  Loud  cries  and  calls 
from  all  over  the  house,  and  from  hundreds  of 
throats  of: — 

"Corwin!  Gov.  Corwin!  Tom  Corwin!  Cor- 
win!!" Until  at  last  Harry  O'Sheldon  and  an- 
other gentleman,  a  delegate  from  Ohio,  saw  him, 
and  picking  him  up,  carried  him  in  their  arms  to 
the  platform. 

After  the  storm  of  applause,  which  greeted  his 


220  RECOLLECTIONS. 

appearance,  had  somewhat  subsided,  Corwin  bow- 
ing gracefully  to  the  audience  said: — 

"Gentlemen,  I  came  to  this  convention  with  the 
determination  not  to  speak;  but  under  the  circum- 
stances, in  which  I  find  myself,  I  think  I  may  be 
excused,  if  I  change  my  purpose  a  little. 

"What  our  friend  Prof.  -  —  has  just  said  of  the 
enterprise  and  push  of  New  England's  sons  and 
daughters,  I  most  cordially  assent  to.  Indeed,  all 
that  has  been  said  and  much  more  that  might  be 
told,  is  true  of  the  Puritan  New  Englander.  How 
this  great  nation  could  ever  have  supplied  itself 
with  pins  and  needles,  with  screws  and  gimlets, 
with  patent  churns  and  patent  tack  hammers,  with 
"school  inarms" and  millwrights,  with  warming  pans 
for  winter  and  ice  cream  freezers  for  summer,  and 
with  ten  thousand  other  things  that  minister  to 
our  comfort  and  convenience,  to  say  nothing  about 
wooden  nutmegs  and  white  oak  cheeses,  basswood 
hams  and  stone  coal  indigo,  without  him — is 
more  than  I  can  tell.  All  honor  to  New  England, 
and  the  descendants  of  the  Puritans!  And  still, 
from  the  very  best  information  that  I  can  get,  it  is 
my  honest  opinion,  that  there  are  several  other 
states  in  this  great  Republic  beside  the  six  New 
England  states.  If  the  gentleman  had  extended 
his  travels  to  the  west  side  of  the  Mississippi,  as  I 
have  done,  he  would  have  found  there  large 
numbers  of  immigrants  from  the  old  drab 
state,  with  their  broad  brimmed  hats  and  thrifty 
ways,  making  the  country  bloom  like  a  garden; 
while  New  York,  New  Jersey,  Maryland,  Virginia, 


KECOLLECTIONS.  221 

the  Caroliiias  and  every  State,  north  and  south, 
have  contributed  of  their  greatness  to  the  pros- 
perity of  the  West.  And  really,  if  I  were  to  be  put 
upon  the  stand  and  under  oath,  I  think  that  I 
could  both  swear  and  prove  that  there  is  such  a 
state  in  this  Union  as  Ohio:  And  not  only  that 
there  is  such  a  state,  but  that  it  now  contains 
nearly  two  millions  of  inhabitants ! !  And  that  this 
is  not  only  known  to  be  true  in  this  country,  but 
there  are  foreigners,  who  are  aware  of  this  fact. 
Of  this  I  was  amusingly  convinced  recently: — 

"In  traveling  by  stage,  from  Albany  to  Buffalo,  not 
long  since,  we  happened  to  have  in  our  company  a 
diplomat  from  some  little  ten-acre  principality  of 
Germany,  who  was  loud  and  persistent  in  his 
abuse  of  Americans.  I  endured  this  for  a  while 
and  then  in  order  to  ascertain  what  the  difficulty 
was,  said  to  him: — 

'What  is  the  matter,  my  friend,  with  the  Ameri- 
cans? Don't  they  pay  their  debts?' 

'Oh,  yes!' 

'Don't  they  tell  the  truth?' 

'Yes,  yes:  they  tell  the  truth!' 

'Haven't  they  used  you  politely?' 

'Oh,  yes:  they  have  treated  me  well  enough.' 

'Well  then,  if  they  pay  their  debts,  speak  the 
truth,  and  have  done  you  no  harm,  why  do  you 
abuse  them  so?  What  is  the  matter?' 

'Matter!  matter!'  said  the  little  German,  'mat- 
ter!! Vy  de  knows  not  to  how  to  dalk!  Dey 
knows  not  any  things. !' 

'Can't  talk!'  I  exclaimed,  surprised  at  such  an 


222  RECOLLECTIONS. 

accusation,     'Don't   they  speak  the  English   lan- 
guage?' 

'No!  no!'  he  replied  scornfully,  'dey  cannot  to 
speak  de  English  language.' 

'Well,'  said  I,  considerably  amused,  'what  do 
they  speak?' 

'Vy,'  replied  he,  drawing  himself  up,  'dey  speaks 
some  kind — of  a — patois — I  believes  dey  calls  it — 
Ohio!' " 

Amid  a  roar  of  laughter,  and  another  low  bow, 
Mr.  Corwin  said  smilingly: — 

"So  you  see,  gentlemen,  Ohio  is  known  across 
the  sea." 

After  the  cheering  incident  upon  this  happy 
hit  had  subsided,  Horace  Greely,  who  had  been 
seated  on  the  platform,  was  called  for.  Horace, 
seemed  rather  reluctant  to  come  forward,  but  as 
the  call  for  him  grew  louder  and  more  persistent, 
he  rose,  and  walked  slowly  to  the  front,  with  his 
drab  coat,  his  genial  face,  massive  head  and  long 
strait  hair,  and  extending  his  hand  towards  the 
chairman  he  remarked  in  his  own  drawling  way : — 

"Mr.  President!  I — had — thought  —  by  —  this  — 
time— thai — my — reputation — as — a — poor — speak- 
er— had — become — universal.        But — I — perceive 
— it — is — only — local. ' ' 

He  then  went  on  for  about  ten  minutes  with  a 
most  excellent  and  appropriate  train  of  thought, 
which  was  terminated  by  the  appearance  of  the 
committee  on  permanent  organization. 

The  Rock  River  conference  met  this  year  at 
"Clarke  Street."  Bishop  Waugh,  whom  we  had  the 


RECOLLECTIONS.  223 

honor  of  entertaining  at  the  parsonage,  presided. 
A  paper  was  presented  to  the  bishop,  soon  after  the 
assembling  of  the  conference,  signed  by  the  mem- 
bers of  the  official  board  of  Clarke  Street  church, 
and  many  others,  requesting  the  removal  of  James 
Mitchell  as  presiding  elder  from  the  district,  and 
giving  their  reasons  for  the  same.  One  of  these 
was,  that  he  had  tried  to  prejudice  their  preacher 
against  the  church.  This,  with  the  rest,  he  de- 
nied and  demanded  proof.  .  In  this  demand  he  was 
quickly  accommodated;  and  the  brethren  pro- 
ceeded immediately  to  put  their  complaints  in  the 
form  of  charges;  and  the  case  took  at  once  the 
form  of  a  trial. 

When  the  passing  of  my  character '  came  up, 
early  in  the  session,  Bro.  Mitchell  delayed  it,  say- 
ing, "We  will  pass  that  case!"  Then  he  came  to 
me  an  hour  or  so  afterward  and  said,  "If  you  dare 
to  appear  as  a  witness  against  me  I  will  ruin  you." 

To  this  threat  I  replied  calmly,  "You  may  be 
able  to  do  so;  but  I  doubt  it  very  much.  Yet,  if 
I  am  called  on  to  testify,  I  shall  state  every  fact 
that  I  know  of,  that  is  pertinent  to  the  case,  if 
it  costs  me  my  life." 

The  trial  went  on  and  I  gave  my  testimony. 
Mitchell  was  found  guilty  as  charged,  and  the 
penalty  was  that  he  be  reproved  by  the  bishop  in 
open  conference.  This  duty  the  bishop  faithfully 
performed,  and  administered  such  a  reproof  as 
but  few  Methodist  preachers  have  ever  received, 
and  which  will  never  be  forgotten  by  those  who 
heard  it.  This  action  vindicated  me  satisfactorily, 


224  RECOLLECTIONS. 

as  well  as  the  church,  and  fastened  the  blame  of 
the  strife  and  discord  on  the  presiding  elder,  where 
it  justly  belonged. 

There  are  two  things  which  I  wish  to  say  in 
reviewing  this  transaction.  One  is,  no  man  who 
was  in  that  exciting  conflict  can  give  a  full  and  fair 
statement  of  the  whole  case.  The  feeling  was  so 
intense  that  any  such  statement  must  necessarily 
be  exparte.  And,  after  the  most  strenuous 
efforts  on  the  part  of  the  presiding  elder  to  impli- 
cate me  in  wrong  doing,  he  was  obliged  at  last  to 
say,  "Nothing  against  Bro.  Hobart." 


RECOLLECTIONS.  225 


CHAPTEK  XIX. 

T  WAS  this  year  appointed  presiding  elder  of 
•*•  Racine  district,  which  field  of  labor  included 
the  southeast  portion  of  Wisconsin,  extending  from 
Lake  Michigan  to  Sugar  river,  thirty  miles  west  of 
Rock  river.  There  were  twelve  charges  to  which  I 
added  a  thirteenth  during  the  first  quarter. 

We  were  soon  settled,  not  a  Sunday  having  been 
lost,  and  with  a  glad  heart  and  like  a  bird  escaped 
from  a  cage  or  a  snare,  I  took  hold  of  my  work. 
Before  I  had  completed  my  first  round  I  felt  and 
saw  that  the  spirit  of  revival  was  abroad,  and  that 
a  great  harvest  of  souls  was  soon  to  be  gathered. 

At  Janesville,  I  remember,  we  had  a  very  de- 
lightful quarterly  meeting.  There  were  among 
the  leading  spirits  on  that  charge,  Bros.  Sutherland 
and  Winn,  who,  with  their  families,  lived  in  town ; 
and  Bros.  Wheeler  and  Willard,  who  resided  a 
short  distance  in  the  country.  Bro.  Willard  was 
a  remarkably  noble  and  capable  man,  and  was  held 
in  the  highest  estimation  for  his  loyalty  and 
Christian  integrity.  His  family,  consisting  of 
wife,  son  Oliver,  and  two  little  daughters,  Mary 
and  Frances  E.,  were  members  of  the  Sabbath 
school,  and  these  children  were  unusally  bright  and 


226  RECOLLECTIONS. 

attractive.  I  well  remember  that  little  Miss  Frank, 
then  about  eight  years  old,  was  an  intelligent 
and  lovely  child.  And  how  well  has  the  promise 
of  her  girlhood  been  realized  in  the  gifted  and 
world-renowned  philanthropist  and  temperance 
orator,  Miss  Frances  E.  Willard,  president  of  the 
"Woman's  National  Christian  Temperance  Union." 
This  elect  and  honored  lady  is  at  this  time  leading 
the  hosts  of  the  Christian  women  of  our  own  and 
other  lands,  in  one  of  the  most  significant  move- 
ments which  has  blessed  this  or  any  other  age.  One 
of  the  adjuncts  of  the  Gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ;  itself  the  proclamation  of  the  Gospel  under 
the  white  banner  of  temperance,  urging  that  the 
home  should  be  protected  from  the  dram  shop, 
"For  God  and  home  and  native  land." 

At  our  quarterly  meeting  this  year  many  were 
converted,  while  the  interest  manifested  gave  us 
crowded  houses,  and  the  preachers,  with  one  ex- 
ception, took  hold  of  the  work  in  earnestness  and 
in  sympathy  with  me  and  with  each  other.  We 
had  a  good  year;  the  record  being,  so  far  as 
human  entries  could  tell  of  the  results  of  that 
twelve  months  of  faithful  preaching  and  labor,  one 
thousand  converted  and  added  to  the  church. 

Early  in  the  year  Bro.  Whitman,  preacher  in 
charge  on  Bigfoot  circuit,  had  died  at  his  post, 
having  fought  a  good  fight,  and  of  those  "having 
obtained  a  good  report." 

I  held  a  camp-meeting  for  the  central  part  of 
the  district,  a  few  miles  west  of  Bigfoot  prairie, 
the  first  week  in  June,  and  at  this  meeting  many 


EECOLLECTION8.  227 

were  converted.  One  case  which  deserves  special 
mention,  occurs  to  me: 

Having  preached  on  Sunday  morning  as  faith- 
fully as  I  could,  showing  the  utter  hopelessness  of 
the  impenitent  sinner,  and  the  richness,  fullness 
and  freeness  of  God's  mercy  to  the  contrite  peni- 
tent, I  went  on,  as  usual,  to  my  next  point.  On 
my  subsequent  visit  to  this  neighborhood,  a  man 
was  presented  to  me,  by  the  preacher  in  charge, 
for  baptism;  and  this  man  informed  me,  with  the 
joy  of  a  new-born  soul,  that  under  the  preaching  of 
the  sermon  referred  to  on  that  Sunday  morning  at 
Bigfoot  camp-meeting,  he  had  been  convicted  and 
converted.  And  he  then  came  to  me  to  be  bap- 
tized, having  at  once  united  with  the  church.  I 
knew  of  him  for  many  years  after,  and  he  con- 
tinued a  faithful,  active  Christian. 

At  the  general  conference  of  1848,  held  at  Pitts- 
burgh, the  Bock  River  conference  was  divided,  and 
the  Wisconsin  conference  was  formed.  The  latter, 
including  the  State  of  Wisconsin  and  our  mission 
work  on  the  upper  Mississippi  (now  Minnesota). 
It  was  divided  into  four  districts. 

Plattville — Henry  Summers,  presiding  elder. 

Fond  du  Lac — W.  H.  Sampson,  presiding  elder. 

Milwaukee— Elihu  Springer,  presiding  elder. 

Racine — Chauncey  Hobart,  presiding  elder. 

The  first  meeting  of  our  new  conference  was  at 
Southport,  (Kenosha)  the  last  of  June,  1848; 
Bishop  Morris,  presiding;  Wm.  H.  Sampson,  sec- 
retary. 

Nothing  occurred  to  mar  our  harmony,  except- 


228  RECOLLECTIONS. 

ing  that  a  bill  of  charges  was  presented  by  the 
brethren  from  Janesville  against  Rev.  J.  Luccock. 
As  the  parties  were  not  prepared  for  trial  the 
brother  received  an  appointment;  and  the  case  was 
referred  for  trial  to  the  presiding  elder  of  the  Ra- 
cine district.  In  due  time,  perhaps  in  Septem- 
ber, the  charges  were  investigated.  He  was  found 
guilty  and  suspended  until  conference  met. 

When  this  case  came  up  for  trial  the  next  year, 
the  conference  found  him  guilty  of  falsehood. 
But  when  he  was  about  to  be  expelled,  on  motion 
of  Elihu  Springer,  the  vote  was  reconsidered  by 
which  he  was  found  guilty,  and  it  was  voted  as  the 
sense  of  the  conference,  "that  although  he  had 
spoken  the  words  as  charged,  yet  there  were  some 
doubts  as  to  whether  he  intended  to  speak  falsely, 
and  therefore  he  should-  have  the  benefit  of  the 
doubt  and  his  character  pass." 

The  reports  from  the  preachers  brought  good 
news  of  increase  and  of  conversions ;  but  very  sorry 
ones  of  money  raised  for  their  support  dur- 
ing the  year.  The  appropriation  for  that  year  for 
the  support  of  the  presiding  elder,  who  had  to 
keep  a  horse,  rent  a  house,  buy  wood,  etc.,  was  four 
hundred  and  fifteen  dollars.  This  was  not  nearly 
all  raised;  but  I  made  no  complaint.  We  had 
managed  to  live,  and  that  was  about  all  we  had 
expected  to  do. 

In  my  second  year  on  the  district  four  new 
charges  were  added;  and  Bigfoot  was  taken  into 
the  Rock  River  conference  at  the  time  of  the  divi- 
sion. On  one  of  these  charges  was  Indian  Ford, 


RECOLLECTIONS.  229 

which  was  a  village  of  two  hundred;  and  a  preach- 
ing place  on  the  Rock  Prairie  [charge  with  J.  M. 
Walker,  preacher.  Here  we  had  a  small  class 
which  was  the  only  religious  organization  in  the 
place. 

A  few  miles  west  of  this  little  town  was  another 
village,  Catfish,  of  about  the  same  age  and 
size;  each  of  these  towns  contained  excellent  mill 
privileges.  And  there  was  quite  a  rivalry  between 
them.  In  order  to  attract  settlers  and  build  up 
their  town,  the  Catfish  people  employed  a  Univer- 
salist  preacher  named  Mr  W ,  to  come  and  re- 
side among  them  and  preach  every  Sabbath. 
While  Indian  Ford  could  only  afford  to  have  a 
Methodist  preacher  come  and  preach  for  them 
once  in  two  weeks.  But  through  the  faithfulness 
and  ability  of  their  preacher,  Bro.  Walker,  during 
the  winter  of  48-49,  nearly  the  entire  population  of 
the  town  of  Indian  Ford  was  converted.  This 
event  completely  revolutionized  the  character  of 
the  place.  Immigrants  came  pouring  in;  business 
became  brisk;  a  church  edifice  was  erected,  a  good 
school  was  established,  and  the  population  more 
than  doubled. 

That  this  prosperity  was  the  result  of  the  great 
revival,  could  not  escape  the  notice  of  the  Catfish 
people.  After  discussing  the  matter  among  them- 
selves for  some  time,  a  committee  was  appointed  by 
them  to  wait  on  the  presiding  elder  and  request 
him  to  send  them,  if  possible,  a  "Gospel"  minister. 
This  committee  informed  me  that  a  Methodist  was 
their  first  choice;  but  that  if  I  could  not  supply 


230  RECOLLECTIONS. 

them,  their  instructions  were  to  apply  to  the  Pres- 
byterians and  if  unsuccessful  there,  then  to  try 
what  the  Baptists  or  Congregation  alists  could  do  for 
them.  At  all  events  they  must  secure  the  services 
of  a  "Gospel"  minister  for  Catfish.  I  arranged  as 
soon  as  possible  that  this  town  should  become  a 
part  of  the  "Union  Circuit,"  and  have  preaching 
regularly  by  the  circuit  preacher,  which  arrange- 
ment pleased  them  well. 

This  year  on  the  Racine  district  was  one  of  very 
decided  prosperity  in  every  way;  both  spiritually 
and  financially  there  was  a  marked  advance  on  the 
previous  year.  And  there  were  again  in  this 
second  year  more  than  one  thousand  reported  con- 
verted and  added  to  the  church. 

On  the  thirteenth  of  November  of  this  year 
1848,  we  were  gladdened  by  the  birth  of  a  little 
daughter,  whom  we  named  Mary  Eliza.  This 
dear  child  has  been  spared  to  us  and  is  now  the 
wife  of  Dr.  Charles  Simpson,  of  Minneapolis, 
Minn.,  to  whom  she  was  married  Sept.  11,  1872. 

Our  Wisconsin  conference  met  in  1849  at  Platts- 
ville;  Bishop  Janes,  presiding. 

Bishop  Janes  had  never  before  been  in  the 
Northwest,  and  the  brethren  were  no  little  in  doubt 
at  first,  as  to  how  an  eastern  man  would  affiliate 
with  western  needs  and  modes  of  thought.  But  it 
was  all  right.  He  won  all  our  hearts  by  his  open- 
ing prayer,  and  none  of  our  bishops  have  since 
been  more  welcome  in  the  West  and  Northwest  than 
he.  And  there  have  been  none  whose  death  has 


RECOLLECTIONS.  231 

been  more  lamented,  nor  whose  record  is  clearer 
as  a  saint,  a  scholar,  a  wise  administrator,  a  Chris- 
tian gentleman,  and  royal  preacher. 

Not  long  after  we  met,  the  bishop  told  us  in  the 
cabinet,  that  some  one  must  go  up  to  the  new 
Territory  of  Minnesota,  as  stationed  preacher  at 
St.  Paul,  and  presiding  elder  of  the  work  in  that 
upper  country.  He  inquired  very  earnestly  of  us 
as  to  who  would  be  a  proper  person  to  send. 
Several  names  were  given  and  by  the  bishop's 
direction  these  were  spoken  to  on  the  subject. 
But  none  were  found  willing  to  go — some  even 
begging,  with  tears,  not  to  be  sent,  the  distance  and 
difficulties  being  so  great.  This  backwardness 
stirred  my  soul  to  its  depths;  and  after  thinking 
the  matter  over  with  much  prayer,  for  a  day  or 
two,  I  told  the  bishop  that  I  would  volunteer 
for  the  work  if  he  saw  fit  to  send  me.  The  fol- 
lowing day  in  the  cabinet  he  asked  me,  if  I  was 
really  in  earnest  in  volunteering  to  go  and  take 
charge  of  the  work  in  Minnesota. 

Assuring  him  that  I  was,  that  I  felt  I  ought  to 
be  willing  to  do,  myself,  what  I  had  proposed  to 
others  to  do,  and  that  I  was  convinced  that  that 
upper  country  offered  a  fine  field  in  which  a  man 
could  do  good  work  for  God  and  the  Methodist 
church.  To  which  he  said,  "All  this  being  so  you 
may  consider  it  settled  that  you  are  to  go  to  Min- 
nesota, and  arrange  accordingly."  After  an  un- 
usually long  session  we  adjourned,  and  among  the 
appointments  were:  Minnesota  district,  C.  Hobart; 


232  RECOLLECTIONS. 


St.  Paul,  C.  Hobart;  St.  Anthony,  Enos  Stevens; 
Stillwater,  J.  Harrington;  Bound  Prairie,  Jessie 
Pardun;  Black  River,  B.  R.  Wood;  Chippewa  to 
be  supplied. 


EECOLLECTIONS.  233 


CHAPTER  XX. 

-[(RETURNING  to  Racine,  I  found  my  good  wife 
^  V  more  than  willing  to  undertake  the  long 
journey  and  to  break  up  the  associations  of  her 
life.  We  packed  our  goods,  hired  teams  to  take 
us  to  the  Mississippi,  and,  with  our  two  little  ones, 
were  on  our  way  to  Galena,  111.,  by  the  20th  of 
July.  Bro.  Stepkens  joined  us  on  the  way. 

On  our  arrival  at  Lafayette,  we  learned  that  the 
cholera  was  raging  at  Galena;  so  we  took  another 
road  and  struck  the  Mississippi  at  Cassville. 

On  Monday  we  went  on  board  the  good  steam- 
boat, "Senator;"  captain,  Orrin  Smith,  and  were  on 
our  way  for  St.  Paul,  where  we  arrived  on  the  last 
day  of  July,  1849,  about  9  o'clock  in  the  evening. 
A  noisy  crowd  was  awaiting  the  boat;  and  the  suc- 
cessful candidates  for  legislative  honors,  and  their 
adherents,  were  making  themselves  noisily  merry 
at  a  saloon  on  the  landing.  The  first  election  for 
the  territory  having  been  held  that  day.  We 
were  met  and  cordially  welcomed  by  Rev.  B.  F. 
Hoyt,  a  local  preacher,  who  had  been  in  St.  Paul 
a  little  over  a  year,  and  who  took  us  to  his  home. 
Here  we  remained  until  I  could  procure  a  house, 
which  I  did  in  about  ten  days. 

16 


234  RECOLLECTIONS. 

St.  Paul  had  been  known  as  "Pig's  Eye,"  and  as 
an  Indian  trading  post,  for  several  years.  At  this 
point  the  Roman  Catholics  had  built  a  little  log 
chapel  of  tamarac  poles,  and  called  it  "St.  Paul's," 
to  distinguish  it  from  a  similar  structure  at  Men- 
dota,  which  was  named  "St.  Peter's."  This  mud- 
daubed  log  chapel  gave  name  to  the  village,  which 
had  been  platted  about  two  years,  and  now  con- 
tained some  four  hundred  inhabitants. 

This  was  the  beginning  of  our  beautiful  capital 
city,  Si  Paul.  I  found  here  a  Methodist  class  of 
twenty  members,  organized  by  my  predecessor, 
Rev.  B.  F.  Close.  A  brick  church  had  been  com- 
menced on  a  lot,  donated  by  Messrs.  Rice  and 
Irving,  on  Market  street;  the  waHs  of  the  church 
were  between  two  and  three  feet  high. 

A  new  hotel,  the  "Central,"  was  just  being  fitted 
up  for  the  accommodation  of  the  legislature, 
which  was  to  meet  on  the  3d  of  September.  In 
the  parlor  of  this  hotel,  located  on  Bench  street, 
(now  Second)  I  was  permitted  to  preach.  I  com- 
menced at  once  superintending  the  building  of  the 
church,  and  the  erection  of  a  dwelling  for  my 
family,  as  there  was  not  a  house  to  rent.  During 
the  month  of  Aiigust  I  also  preached  at  St.  Anthony 
Falls,  Stillwater  and  Red  Rock. 

The  legislature  met  on  the  third  of  September; 
and  the  senate  organized  by  electing  D.  Olrnsted 
president  of  the  council;  J.  R.  Brown,  secretary; 
H.  A.  Lambert,  assistant;  C.  W.  Boutwell,  chap- 
lain. And  the  house  was  organized  by  electing  J. 


RECOLLECTIONS.  235 

W.  Furbur,  speaker;  W.  D.  Philips,  clerk;  L.  B. 
Wait,  assistant,  and  C.  Hobart,  chaplain. 

The  duties  of  this  new  office  did  not  interfere 
with  my  many  other  engagements,  as  I  had  simply 
to  be  on  hand  each  morning  to  open  the  session 
with  prayer.  This  pleasant  duty  was  performed 
until  about  the  20th  of  September,  when,  by  vote 
of  the  house,  I  was  permitted  to  fill  my  place, 
while  absent  for  a  time  in  Illinois,  and  to  attend 
the  session  of  the  Illinois  conference,  soliciting 
assistance  to  complete  our  little-  brick  church. 
During  my  absence,  Rev.  Mr.  Neal  kindly  officiated 
for  me. 

My  family  and  myself  having  been  absent  from 
Illinois  for  about  three  years,  we  had  concluded 
that  as  Quinoy,  the  seat  of  the  Illinois  conference, 
was  but  a  few  miles  from  our  former  home  in 
Bushville,  we  would  take  the  children  and  visit 
it  and  our  friends.  At  Quincy  we  were  most 
kindly  entertained  during  the  session  of  the  con- 
ference, at  the  home  of  our  dear  old  friend,  "Mother 
Murphy,"  as  we  loved  to  call  her.  And  our  visit 
with  the  preachers  and  brethren — many  of  them 
the  tried  and  true  friends  of  my  life — was  a  great 
pleasure. 

There  were  in  the  Illinois  conference  in  those 
days,  some  of  the  grandest  men  it  has  been  my 
fortune  to  meet  or  know  anywhere;  men  of  God, 
whole-souled,  candid,  true ;  who  did  not  know  how 
to  be  self-seeking  nor  mean.  They  were  also  men 
of  faith  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

We  spent  a  few  days  at  Rushville,  also,  and  hav- 


236  RECOLLECTIONS. 

ing  enjoyed  both  the  trip  and  the  rest,  returned  to 
St.  Paul  after  an  absence  of  four  weeks,  when  I 
resumed  my  place  as  chaplain  of  the  house. 

With  what  help  I  had  obtained  while  absent, 
and  what  the  members  and  friends  in  St.  Paul 
could  do,  we  enclosed  our  church  and  put  011  one 
coat  of  plastering  overhead,  and  with  the  help 
of  a  large  stove  we  occupied  it  as  a  place  of  wor- 
ship during  the  winter. 

The  population  of  the  town  was  very  rapidly 
increasing;  and  to  meet  the  necessity  of  another 
school — there  being  but  one,  and  that  one  held  in 
a  small  bark  covered  house — our  church  was  en- 
gaged for  a  school  and  myself  as  the  teacher.  So 
that  to  the  other  honors  with  which  my  pathway 
has  been  strewn,  is  this  also  of  being  the  first  male 
teacher  in  the  Territory  of  Minnesota.  Mrs.  H.  E. 
Bishop,  since  deceased,  was  the  first  lady  teacher. 
She  taught  the  half-breed  children  in  the  little 
bark  house  referred  to. 

During  the  winter  of  1849-50,  I  held  the  regular 
quarterly  meetings  on  the  St.  Anthony,  St.  Paul 
and  Stillwater  charges,  and,  with  the  help  of  the 
brethren,  kept  up  preaching  regularly  in  my  own 
charge  also.  About  this  time  we  had  a  little 
revival;  a  few  were  converted  and  several  back- 
sliders reclaimed. 

On  the  Stillwater  charge,  Bro.  Harrington  had 
a  very  encouraging  work.  About  thirty  were  re- 
claimed and  converted,  and  a  good  class  formed, 
all  of  whom  were  converts  but  one.  On  my  own 
charge,  St.  Paul,  the  work  had  also  been  pros- 


RECOLLECTIONS.  237 

perous,  and  the  year  closed  with  thirty-seven  in 
church  fellowship,  of  whom  twelve  were  proba- 
tioners. 

Bishop  Hamline  presided  at  our  annual  confer- 
ence, which  was  held  in  Beloit,  Wis.,  the  next 
year.  The  bishop  was  feeble,  so  that  the  presiding 
elders  had  to  take  charge  while  the  bishop  lay  on 
a  sofa  and  only  officiated  when  it  was  necessary. 
At  this  conference  the  Minnesota  district  was 
enlarged  so  as  to  include  all  of  Minnesota  and  that 
part  of  Wisconsin  lying  west  of  the  Wisconsin 
river,  up  to  the  mouth  of  Dell  creek,  where  Kil- 
burn  City  now  stands.  This  vast  territory  was 
divided  into  ten  charges,  extending  from  Fort  Rip- 
ley  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  from  Portage,  on 
Wisconsin  river,  to  as  far  west  as  the  settlements 
extended  in  Minnesota. 

From  the  conference  I  started  almost  immediate- 
ly for  my  quarterly  meeting  at  Prairie  du  Chien; 
then  to  Sauk  Prairie;  then  to  Baraboo,  and  Black 
River  Falls,  making  a  trip  of  five  weeks.  The 
journey  to  Prairie  du  Chien  I  found, always  a 
pleasant  one,  as  I  traveled  on  the  steamer 
"Nominee,"  with  my  old  friend  Captain  O.  Smith. 

The  first  quarterly  meeting  held  at  Prairie  du 
Chien  was  on  July  20,  1850 ;  from  thence  I  went 
one  hundred  miles  up  the  Wisconsin  river  to  Sauk 
Prairie,  on  a  small  steamboat,  the  river  being 
then  very  low.  On  going  on  board  the  steamer, 
I  found  some  fifty  lumbermen  who  were  returning 
to  the  Wisconsin  pineries,  after  having  taken  their 
rafts  down  to  Dubuque  and  below.  These  men 


238  EECOLLECTIONS. 

were  just  beginning  to  sober  up  a  little  from  a  ter- 
rible drunken  debauch,  several  of  them  being  still 
drunk,  three  having  been  attacked  with  cholera. 
Two  of  these  cases  yielded  to  the  doses  of  medicine 
administered  by  the  captain;  all  steamboat  cap- 
tains in  those  days  being  provided  with  a  medicine 
chest.  The  third,  whom  the  men  called  "Dave," 
grew  rapidly  worse,  until  it  was  evident  that,  un- 
less speedily  helped,  he  must  die.  But  some  four 
or  five  of  his  comrades  would  not  hear  of  this,  and 
declared  with  many  an  oath,  that  he  should  not  die. 
Acting  on  their  own  responsibility,  they  ordered 
the  steward  to  bring  them  a  tub  of  hot  water;  then 
they  stripped  Dave  entirely  naked,  and  four  of 
them  taking  each  a  towel  commenced  rubbing  him 
with  it  and  the  hot  water,  with  might  and  main. 
Poor  Dave  begged,  groaned  and  swore,  but  all  in 
vain;  on  they  rubbed,  nobody  being  desired  or 
allowed  to  interfere.  On  they  rubbed,  rubbed,  for 
about  two  hours,  when,  almost  skinless,  Dave  be- 
gan to  show  decided  symptoms  of  being  better; 
and  by  the  time  the  boat  reached  Sauk  Prairie, 
Dave  was  convalescent;  but  the  poor  fellow  was 
unable  to  move,  from  his  merciful  or  unmerciful 
scrubbing. 

From  Sauk  Prairie,  after  holding  the  quarterly 
meeting,  Bro.  Bunce  conveyed  me  over  the  high 
ridge,  almost  a  mountain,  to  Baraboo.  Here  I 
found  my  old  friend,  James  Maxwell,  one  of 
Nature's  noblemen,  whom  I  had  known  on  Bigfoot 
prairie  some  years  before.  To  their  home  and 


EECOLLECTIONS.  239 

hospitalities  I  was  kindly  welcomed  by  his  wife 
and  five  promising  children. 

Our  society  here  was  strong  in  numbers,  wealth, 
piety  and  intelligence,  and  after  a  delightful  quar- 
terly meeting  I  saw  that  the  prospect  for  enlarge- 
ment was  most  encouraging. 

My  next  appointment,  a  camp-meeting,  was  at 
Bound  Prairie  (Viroqua),  about  one  hundred  miles 
west  from  Baraboo.  How  to  reach  this  place  was 
a  question.  The  only  traveled  road  would  take  me 
back  across  the  Wisconsin  to  the  Blue  Mounds, 
then  the  old  military  road  to  Prairie  du  Chien; 
thence  forty  miles  up  the  lumberman's  road  to 
Bound  Prairie,  in  all  a  distance  of  two  hundred 
miles.  Another  route  was  up  the  Baraboo  river 
to  Beedsburg;  thence  by  a  newly  blazed  road, 
untraveled  as  yet,  until  the  lumberman's  road  was 
reached;  then  south  to  Bound  Prairie.  The  dis- 
tance by  this  latter  route  would  be  about  one  hun- 
dred and  forty  miles.  A  third  way  was  to  strike 
directly  through  the  wilderness,  without  road,  trail, 
guide  or  house;  the  supposed  distance  being  about 
eighty  miles. 

After  consultation  and  an  examination  of  the 
map,  I  preferred  to  take  the  last  named  route,  pro- 
vided I  could  get  two  men  to  go  through  with  me. 
This  I  proposed  to  some  of  the  friends,  and  as 
there  was  just  enough  of  adventure  and  novelty 
about  such  an  undertaking  to  make  it  attractive, 
there  were  six  who  volunteered  to  go:  Bev.  James 
Waddell,  a  local  preacher;  James  B.  Avery,  Esq., 


240  RECOLLECTIONS. 

Charles  A.  Clarke,  Warren  Brown,  Frances  Winer 
and  Leonard  Foster. 

The  camp-meeting  was  to  begin  on  Friday,  nnd 
on  the  Tuesday  preceding  we  started,  Bro.  Max- 
well taking  us  about  ten  miles  in  his  wagon.  Then 
we  plunged  into  the  wilderness,  which  we  knew  to 
be  a  vast,  dense,  unbroken  forest,  for  the 
next  one  hundred  miles,  with  nothing  to  guide  us 
but  the  sun,  the  stars  and  a  pocket  compass.  We 
provided  ourselves  with  food  for  three  and  a  half 
days;  with  four  blankets,  a  small  coffee  pot,  two 
tin  cups,  a  hand  ax,  a  rifle  and  a  pair  of  saddle- 
bags; and  these,  in  carrying,  we  divided  equally 
among  us.  On  Tuesday  night,  after  having  trav- 
eled about  fifteen  miles,  we  camped  in  a  deep 
ravine,  in  a  choke-cherry  thicket,  just  deserted  by 
a  company  of  bears,  which  we  had  evidently  scared 
from  feasting  on  the  cherries. 

The  next  day,  Wednesday,  we  traveled  over  a 
rough  country,  many  of  the  hills  being  more  than 
four  hundred  feet  high.  About  noon  we  found 
shelter  in  a  friendly  cave,  while  a  severe  thunder- 
storm passed  by.  We  camped  that  night  in  a  deep 
ravine,  and  were  thoroughly  drenched  about  mid- 
night, being  then  driven  out  of  our  bed  of  ferns, 
in  which  we  had  been  sleeping,  to  find  shelter  be- 
hind the  large  trees  around  us. 

About  day  break  the  storm  passed  and  we  soon 
had  a  rousing  fire,  dried  our  clothes,  ate  our  break- 
fast, offered  up  our  morning  prayer,  and  pursued 
our  journey.  That  day,  Thursday,  we  followed 
down  the  ravine,  in  which  we  had  camped, '  for 


RECOLLECTIONS.  241 

i 

about  twelve  miles  and  at  eleven  o'clock  we  came 
to  Pine  river.  Seeing  sawdust  in  the  stream,  we 
concluded  there  must  be  a  saw  mill  near,  and  fol- 
lowing up  the  river,  soon  found  Hazelton's  mill, 
some  forty  miles  from  the  nearest  settlement. 
Here  we  dined,  and  after  obtaining  some  supplies, 
traveled  on,  until  sundown,  when  we  camped  on 
the  broad  ridge  between  Pine  river  and  the  Kicka- 
poo. 

Friday  we  journeyed  on,  all  day,  and  camped  at 
night  in  the  Kickapoo  bottom.  That  night  we  sup- 
ped on  slippery  elm  bark  and  basswood  buds,  hav- 
ing then  less  than  a  cubic  inch  of  pork,  per  man, 
left  for  our  breakfast.  We  committed  ourselves 
to  the  care  of  our  Heavenly  Father,  and  slept 
soundly. 

Saturday  morning  we  ate  our  small  piece  of  meat 
for  breakfast,  had  our  worship  as  a  family,  and 
journeyed  on.  We  soon  came  to  the  Kickapoo, 
which  we  crossed  as  Adam  and  Eve  may  be  sup- 
posed to  have  crossed  the  Hiddekel,  excepting 
only  that  we  managed  to  get  our  clothes  tied  up  in 
bundles  and  flung  them  on  the  further  bank. 
Then  crossing  the  bottom  we  climbed  up  a  very 
steep  hill,  and  almost  immediately  climbed  down 
again;  and  found,  not  long  after,  a  broad  trail  or 
wagon  road.  This  we  gladly  followed,  supposing 
that  it  would  lead  us  to  the  settlement.  However, 
after  traveling  it,  about  ten  miles,  we  found  that 
it  was  leading  us  out  of  our  course  and  we  turned 
away  from  it,  about  due  west. 

Journeying  on,  somewhat  wearily  down  a  valley 


242  RECOLLECTIONS. 

— all  having  fallen  a  little  behind  Bro.  Waddell 
and  myself; — about  2  o'clock  P.  M.,  I  discovered  a 
porcupine  climbing  a  tree.  Being  somewhat  in 
advance  of  the  others,  who  were  lingering  behind, 
looking  for  gooseberries,  I  ran  up,  throwing  my 
hand  axe  at  him.  Missed,  sent  some  clubs  after 
him;  but,  as  Pat  said,  "I  hit  him,  in  the  same 
place,  where  I  missed  him  before."  After  a  few 
minutes  however,  Bro.  Foster  came  up  and  shot 
him  through  the  body. 

As  he  was  dying  slowly  and  before  he  fell,  I 
looked  around  and  saw  Bro.  Waddell  kindling  a 
fire.  Then  I  thought  as  I  saw  him,  of  the  teach- 
ing of  the  old  "Westminister  Catechism," — that 
it  was  "fore-ordained,"  that  seven  hungry  men 
should  eat  that  porcupine  that  day. 

He  soon  fell,  was  quickly  skinned;  cut  into 
seven  pieces  and  roasted  on  as  many  long  sticks. 
When  done  and  ready  to  eat  I  said,  "Bro.  Wad- 
dell, ask  a  blessing!" 

"O  Lord,"  he  said,  reverently,  "we  thank  Thee, 
that  Thou  hast  spread  a  table  for  us  in  the  wilder- 
ness. Sanctify  the  bounties  of  Thy  providence  to 
our  good.  Bring  us  through  our  journey  safely, 
and  save  us  for  Christ's  sake.  Amen." 

After  this  sumptuous  repast,  and  being  very 
much  refreshed,  we  resumed  our  journey,  cheerily. 
About  four  o'clock,  we  found  ourselves  in  a  Nor- 
wegian settlement,  twelve  miles  north  of  Bound 
Prairie;  having  been  led  from  our  course  by  fol- 
lowing the  lumberman's  road  in  the  morning. 
Obtaining  some  food,  we  hastened  on;  slept  a  few 


RECOLLECTIONS.  243 

hours,  and  reached  the  camp  ground,  a  little  after 
sunrise  on  Sunday  morning.  At  eight  o'clock  A. 
M.,  Bro.  Waddell  preached;  Hobart,  at  eleven; 
three  p.  M.,  Waddell;  Hobart,  at  night.  On  Mon- 
day the  same  variation.  God's  power  was  mightily 
revealed.  Convictions  were  deep,  and  conversions 
clear  and  numerous. 

On  Monday  night,  after  laboring  in  the  altar  for 
two  hours,  I  had  lain  down  in  the  preachers'  tent 
to  obtain  some  much  needed  rest.  I  had  been 
there  but  a  short  time  when  I  was  aroused  by 
hearing  one  of  our  young  sisters,  Miss  Mary 
Grume,  exclaiming  in  a  clear  voice,  "Give  me 
room!  Oh,  give  me  room !  Give  me  room!" 

Supposing  that  the  people  were  crowding  BO 
closely  around  the  altar  as  to  incommode  those 
who  were  there,  I  went  out,  intending  to  request 
them  not  to  press  so  closely  on  those  who  were  en- 
gaged at  the  altar.  But,  when  about  half  way  to 
the  stand  I  heard  her  say  again:  "O  give  me 
room  to  praise  Him ! !  This  little  world  is  not  half 
big  enough  to  praise  Him  in!!" 

Ascertaining  that  the  occasion  of  her  joy  was, 
that  two  brothers  and  a  sister  had  just  been  glori- 
ously converted,  I  concluded  that  I  could  not  well 
enlarge  her  sphere  of  action ;  and  with  a  glad  heart 
retired  again  to  obtain  some  sleep,  while  the  meet- 
ing went  on  with  great  earnestness  and  interest. 

The  camp-meeting  closed  on  Tuesday;  about 
fifty  having  been  converted  and  added  to  the 
church. 

On  Wednesday,  the  brethren  who  accompanied 


244  RECOLLECTIONS. 

me,  returned  home  to  Baraboo  by  way  of  Reeds- 
burg;  the  friends  of  Hound  Prairie  taking  them 
until  they  were  on  the  blazed  trail,  which  intersect- 
ed the  Black  river  road;  while  I,  accompanied  by 
Bro.  Parduu,  went  up  to  Black  River  Falls,  to  hold 
my  next  quarterly  meeting  there.  Returning  home 
by  way  of  Prescott,  I  learned  that  Bro.  Harrington 
was  sick  at  Still  water,  and  hastening  there  I  had 
the  sad  privilege  of  spending  a  few  moments  with 
him,  and  of  commending  him  in  prayer  to  God. 
Tearfully  I  left  him,  and  he,  triumphing  in  Christ, 
departed  very  soon  after  to  be  "forever  with  the 
Lord." 

A  few  days   after  the   death   of  her   husband, 
Sister  Harrington  went  to  join  him  "in  that   land 
where  the  inhabitants  never  say,   'I  am  sick — 
leaving  six  children,  orphans  and  alone. 

I  did  all  that  was  in  my  power  for  the  children 
until  they  were  settled  with  relatives  of  their 
mother,  in  Wisconsin.  I  also  arranged  for  sup- 
plying the  vacancy  left  by  Bro.  Harrington  on  the 
Stillwater  charge.  But  his  death  was  a  severe  loss 
to  me  and  to  the  work.  This  was  one  of  those  in- 
explicable mysteries  which  we  are  sometimes 
brought  to  face,  and  from  which  we  turn  away, 
conscious  that  we  can  not  fathom  the  darkness; 
yet  trusting  that  even  these  inscrutible  providences 
of  life  "shall  work  out,  for  us,  a  far  more  ex- 
ceeding and  eternal  weight  of  glory." 

It  required  the  utmost  diligence  to  complete  my 
several  rounds  before  navigation  closed,  so  as  to 
reach  the  Wisconsin  appointments ;  there  being 


RECOLLECTIONS.  245 

no  communication  between  Minnesota  and  the 
country  below,  during  the  winter,  except  by  a  mail 
once  a  week,  via  Hudson,  Eau  Claire,  and  Black 
River  Falls;  which  mail  failed  to  get  through 
about  as  often  as  it  succeeded.  The  winter  was 
spent  in  assisting  the  brethren  in  Minnesota. 
The  spring  was  early;  water,  high;  the  steam- 
boats, were  numerous;  and  I  had  no  difficulty  in 
reaching  my  appointments,  by  boat. 

At  our  next  conference,  which  met  at  Waukesha, 
Bishop  Waugh,  presiding,  the  work  was  so  ar- 
ranged that  it  was  no  longer  necessary  for  me  to 
ascend  the  Wisconsin  river,  that  part  of  the 
work  having  been  attached  to  Madison  district. 
That  conference  also  took  action  on  the  establish- 
ment of  "The  Northwestern  Christian  Advocate," 
and  a  book  depository  at  Chicago.  The  following 
were  elected  delegates  to  the  general  conference 
to  be  held  at  Boston  in  May,  1852:  C.  Hobart,  H. 
Summers,  and  W.  H.  Sampson. 

I  was  continued  on  the  Minnesota  district,  which 
was  composed  of  nine  charges.  La  Crosse  and 
Point  Douglas  having  been  added  during  the  year. 
The  work  had  so  increased  and  enlarged  in 
Northwestern  Wisconsin,  that  my  time  and 
strength  were  taxed  to  their  utmost,  this  year. 
But  I  was  richly  rewarded  by  seeing  the  work  of 
God  prosper  throughout  the  entire  district.  I  was 
in  the  habit  of  taking  a  horse  on  the  steamboat, 
with  me,  down  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  so  provid- 
ed, reached  all  my  appointments  during  the  sum- 
mer. 


246  RECOLLECTIONS. 

Having  now  been  repeatedly  all  over  the  settled 
portions,  and  much  that  was  still  unsettled,  in 
Minnesota  and  Wisconsin — over  their  bluffs  and 
highlands — I  "pre-empted"  them  all,  every  hill  and 
valley,  every  table-land  and  prairie,  for  God  and  the 
Methodist  church,  and  His  they  are,  by  right. 
This  "pre-emption,"  I  want  to  say,  I  have  from 
that  time  to  this  held;  and  with  the  assistance  of 
my  brethren,  we  have  been  proving  up  and  keep- 
ing possession  of  our  claim  tolerably  well. 

The  appointments  on  the  district  that  year  were : 
St.  Paul,  T.  M.  Fullerton;  St.  Anthony,  C.  A.  New- 
comb;  Point  Douglass  supplied  by  Bro.  Dow; 
Stillwater,  G.  W.  Richardson;  Chippewa,  W. 
Mayne;  Black  River,  Jessie  Pardun;  Prairie  La 
Crosse,  George  Chester ;  Bound  Prairie,  E.  Stevens ; 
Prairie  du  Chien,  J.  0.  Dana.  These  dear  brethren 
were  faithful  and  true  and  we  labored  together  in 
great  harmony  and  with  good  success. 

About  the  third  week  in  April,  after  a  ride  from 
St.  Paul  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  where  I  had  held  the 
quarterly  meeting,  I  took  the  steamer  to  Galena; 
a  night's  ride  by  stage  brought  me  to  Freeport; 
the  railroad,  to  Toledo,  where  I  spent  the  Sabbath 
and  preached;  steamboat,  to  Buffalo,  and  railroad 
via  Albany  and  Springfield  to  Boston,  the  seat  of 
general  conference,  April  30th. 

I  was  entertained,  while  in  Boston,  by  Bro.  Col- 
lins, a  son-in-law  of  Rev.  E.  Washburn,  a  super- 
anuate  of  the  New  York  conference.  This  was 
particularly  agreeable,  as  I  had  formed  the 
acquaintance  of  the  father  of  Mrs.  Collins,  while 


RECOLLECTIONS.  247 

on  the  Eacine  district,  and  we  were  friends  at  once. 
Bro.  Miller,  of  the  Philadelphia  conference,  was 
my  room-mate. 

General  conference  met  at  Bromfield  Street 
church,  May  1st,  1852.  It  was  to  me,  at  this  time, 
an  inexpressible  pleasure  to  meet  many  of  the  great 
and  good  fathers  of  our  Zion,  with  whose  names 
I  had  been  familiar  from  childhood:  Nathan  and 
Heman  Bangs,  Phineas  Bice,  J.  P.  Durbin,  J.  A. 
Collins,  Dr.  Elliott  and  many  others;  not  omiting 
my  old  friends  and  presiding  elders,  Peter  Cart- 
wright  and  Dr.  Peter  Akers.  Bishop  Hedding 
had  died  but  a  few  months  before,  leaving  Bishops 
Waugh,  Morris,  Janes  and  Hamline,  to  superin- 
tend the  church  and  bear  the  burdens  of  the  epis- 
copacy. Bishop  Hamline  was  not  present,  and  re- 
signed at  this  conference. 

Our  principal  business  seemed  to  be  to  try 
"appeals,"  re-arrange  and  systematize  the  Mis- 
sionary society,  and  elect  four  additional  bishops. 
Among  the  "appeals"  was  that  of  J.  S.  Inskip. 
He  had  been  censured  by  the  Ohio  conference  for 
criticising,  in  a  book  which  he  had  published, 
the  action  of  said  conference  in  the  matters 
of  singing,  pews,  etc.,  and  had  appealed  from 
the  decision  of  that  conference.  Granville 
Moody  and  others  defended  the  action  of  the  con- 
ference, while  B.  F.  Teft  and  J.  S.  Inskip  pleaded 
for  the  appellant.  The  decision  of  the  conference 
was  reversed  and  Inskip  cleared. 

Dr.  Durbin  was  then  secretary  of  the  Missionary 
society,  and  it  is  to  him  that  the  M.  E.  church  is 


248  RECOLLECTIONS. 

indebted  for  the  present  form  of  our  grand  mis- 
sionary organization. 

Much  of  my  time  was  devoted  to  the  work  of 
the  committee  on  "Missions  and  Boundaries,"  and 
when  not  so  occupied,  every  moment  was  spent 
in  attending  to  the  business  of  the  conference. 

When  it  was  reported  that  four  new  bishops 
were  needed,  there  was  no  small  stir  and  excite- 
ment, and  there  was  much  talk  among  the  delegates 
as  to  the  men  who  were  supposed  competent  to  be 
elected  to  that  important  office.  But  I  am  proud 
to  be  able  to  say,  that  among  those  there  was  not 
one,  so  far  as  I  knew,  who  did  anything  that  looked 
like  scheming  or  planning  for  his  own  election. 
Each  man  felt  anxious  and  ambitious  that  the  best 
among  us  should  be  the  ones  selected.  There 
seemed  to  be  a  general  consent  to  the  plan  that 
the  New  England  states  should  have  a  man  taken 
from  one  of  their  conferences.  Philadelphia, 
Maryland  and  New  Jersey,  one;  Pennsylvania 
and  Ohio,  one;  and  one  from  the  western  confer- 
ences, including  Indiana,  Illinois,  Iowa,  Rock  River 
and  Wisconsin. 

When  the  election  came  on,  greatly  to  the  satis- 
faction of  the  bishops  and  older  members,  the  four 
bishops  were  elected  on  the  first  ballot:  Prof. 
Baker  of  the  New  Hampshire  conference;  Levi 
Scott,  then  book  agent,  of  the  Philadelphia  con- 
ference; Mathew  Simpson,  at  that  time  editor  of 
the  "Western  Christian  Advocate,"  and  E.  R. 
Ames  of  the  Indiana  conference. 

Indianna  wanted  Dr.  Berry,  and  would  not  and 


EECOLLECTIONS.  249 

did  not  accept  nor  vote  for  Ames,  but  Illinois, 
Hock  Biver,  Wisconsin  and  Iowa  favored  him. 

As  I  recall  the  scenes  of  that  day  and  its  tide  of 
interest,  I  am  reminded  that  the  eight  bishops — 
the  four  who  for  so  long  had  been  loved  and  re- 
vered as  our  superintendents,  and  the  four  who 
were  that  day  elected,  and  bore  themselves  so  wise- 
ly and  so  well  afterwards  and  have  earned  the 
honor  and  respect  and  affection  of  the  church, — 
with  nearly  every  man  who  as  delegate  to  that 
general  conference  voted  for  them,  have  passed, 
on  to  the  legion  of  the  "promoted."  "They  rest, 
but  their  works  do  follow  them." 

Boston  cared  for  our  General  conference  of  1852, 
with  a  generosity  and  wealth  of  hospitality  such  as 
had  never  before  been  extended  to  that  body. 

One  expression  of  this  was  the  chartering  of  a 
fine  steamer  by  the  city  and  an  invitation  to  our 
body  to  take  an  excursion  to  the  several  islands  in 
the  harbor,  including  a  visit  to  Fort  Warren  and 
other  points  of  interest;  also  to  partake  of  a  colla- 
tion on  our  return.  We  were  escorted  on  our  very 
delightful  trip,  by  the  Mayor  and  Council  of 
Boston,  presidents,  professors,  doctors,  lawyers, 
merchants  and  statesmen,  resident  in  that  city. 
And  on  our  arrival  at  the  grand  Immigrant  Build- 
ing, just  then  completed,  in  which  we  were  to  be 
served,  as  some  of  us  in  our  greenness  supposed, 
with  a  "cold  lunch;"  there  was  spread  for  our 
refreshment,  on  large  and  elegantly  furnished 
tables,  every  thing,  it  seemed,  that  earth  or  air  or 
sea  could  furnish.  Before  we  discussed  the  viands 

17 


250  RECOLLECTIONS. 

however,  so  luxuriously  displayed  and  so  liberally 
provided,  we  were  requested  to  sit  and  hear  the 
mayor,  or  some  other  notable,  tell  us  what  wonder- 
ful men  we  were;  what  great  things  we  had  done; 
what  an  heroic  ancestry  we  represented;  what  a 
vast  influence  we  were  exerting;  and  what  great 
deeds  were  expected  of  us.  This,  some  of  us  at 
least,  thought  might  be  taken  at  about  seventy-five 
per  cent,  discount.  However,  as  soft  solder  was 
cheap  and  very  abundant,  and  it  pleased  our 
friends  to  use  it,  we  generously  allowed  them  to 
put  it  on  to  their  hearts'  content. 

Not  to  be  outdone  in  courtesy,  there  must,  of 
course,  be  a  response,  and  on  John  A.  Collins  of 
Baltimore,  fell  the  honor.  In  a  very  graceful  style 
he  began  by  saying: — 

"Since  my  childhood,  I  have  heard  of  New  Eng- 
land, and  of  Boston,  its  proud  capital.  But  until 
within  a  few  pleasant  days  past  I  had  never  set 
foot  on  its  soil.  I  have  heard  of  its  energy,  inge- 
nuity, thrift  and  enterprise;  of  its  educational  and 
humanitarian  institutions;  of  its  talent  and  elo- 
quence ;  of  its  elegance,  its  generosity  and  its  hos- 
pitality. My  expectations  were  very  high.  But 
when  I  came,  and  saw,  and  enjoyed  for  myself, 
like  the  Queen  of  Sheba  I  can  say,  'The  half  had 
never  been  told!' ': 

Other  speakers  were  also  called  for,  who  did 
credit  to  themselves  and  the  occasion.  And  al- 
together, before  we  did  execution  to  the  eatables, 
we  had  pretty  nearly  cancelled  our  obligation  in 
the  line  of  "solder." 


RECOLLECTIONS.  251 

Still  further  to  do  us  honor,  a  grand  meeting  in 
"the  cradle  of  American  liberty,"  Faneuil  Hall, 
was  announced,  and  Daniel  Webster  was  to  ad- 
dress us.  Seats  were  reserved  for  the  conference, 
and  we  listened  while  the  greatest  of  American 
orators  told  us  of  what  he  knew  about  Method- 
ism, and  the  Methodist  church. 

In  common  with  the  majority  of  the  delegates,  I 
preached  on  each  of  the  four  Sundays  during  the 
month,  in  Boston,  Charleston,  Providence,  and 
Maiden.  In  the  last  city  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
visiting  Rev.  Samuel  Norris,  my  mother's  cousin 
and  a  superanuate  of  New  Hampshire  con- 
ference. My  care  and  effort  at  our  General  con- 
ference were  earnestly  given,  that  action  might  be 
taken  011  the  establishment  of  a  "Northwestern 
Christian  Advocate,"  and  a  book  depository  at  Chi- 
cago, on  which  measure  our  Wisconsin  conference 
had  previously  taken  action  at  the  suggestion  of 
myself  and  one  or  two  others;  recommending  that 
the  conferences  of  the  West  all  unite  in  this  re- 
quest. 

I  wish  also  to  state  that  this  idea  originated 
with  myself  while  stationed  in  Chicago  in 
1847.  During  that  year  so  desirous  did  I  feel 
that  a  beginning  should  be  made  of  the  publica- 
tion of  a  "Northwestern  Christian  Advocate,"  that 
I  wrote  an  editorial  for  what  I  hoped  we  should 
soon  issue  as  the  first  number.  But  the  unpleas- 
antness arising  out  of  the  conduct  of  James 
Mitchell,  hindered  the  execution  of  our  plans  and 
delayed  action.  To  my  very  great  satisfaction 


252  RECOLLECTIONS. 

General  conference  acceded  to  our  request,  and 
J.  V.  Watson  was  elected  editor.  And  the  book 
agents  at  Cincinnati  were  directed  to  open  the  de- 
pository at  Chicago.  At  this  conference  I  also 
suggested,  and  secured  the  adoption  of  the  rule  in 
the  Discipline,  authorizing  the  appointment  of  a 
committee  on  church  music. 

Before  leaving  St.  Paul  for  Boston,  I  was 
authorized  by  the  trustees  of  "Market  street"  to 
collect  what  funds  I  could  to  complete  the  build- 
ing of  the  church.  In  prosecuting  this  trust,  I 
called,  while  in  Boston,  on  that  prince  among 
men,  and  among  Methodists,  Lee  Claflin.  He  was 
especially  busy  when  I  first  called  on  him;  but 
kindly  and  courteously  explaining  how  it  was,  said, 
"Come  and  take  tea  with  me  to-morrow  evening, 
Bro.  Hobart,  I'd  like  to  talk  with  you!" 

I  went  accordingly,  and  after  spending  a  most 
enjoyable  evening  with  Mr.  Claflin  and  his  charm- 
ing family,  and  after  we  had  talked  up  the  great 
Northwest,  and  Minnesota,  and  St.  Paul,  with  its 
one  unfinished  Methodist  church,  I  felt  almost 
confident  from  the  interest  which  he  had  already 
manifested,  that  he  would  contribute  something 
toward  the  church.  I  thought  of  perhaps  twenty- 
five,  and  I  hoped,  fifty  dollars  might  be  given. 
Imagine  my  surprise,  when  before  I  left, 
he  handed  me  a  check  for  two  hundred  dollars, 
at  the  same  time  telling  me  that  if  it  were  in  his 
power  then,  he  would  have  done  better  by  me. 

This  liberal  souled  Christian  gentleman,  the 
father  of  Gov.  Claflin,  of  Mass.,  illustrated  the 


BECOLLEOTIONS.  253 

truth  of  God's  promise,  "Them  that  honor  me  I  will 
honor."  He  commenced  business  life,  he  told 
me,  as  a  young  man  and  a  Christian,  with  very 
little  capital.  But,  from  the  commencement  of  his 
going  into  business,  he  covenanted  with  the 
Lord,  that  year  by  year  he  would  devote  to  His 
service  one-tenth  of  all  he  made.  He  did  this  un- 
til his  capital  became  ten  thousand  dollars,  which 
capital  he  had  accumulated  much  more  rapidly 
than  he  had  once  thought  possible.  He  then 
covenanted  to  devote  a  higher  per  cent,  of  his 
increase,  and  did  so  until  he  reached  a  capital  of 
twenty  thousand.  When  this  was  reached,  he  in- 
creased his  per  centage  of  offering  to  the  Lord, 
and  so  continued  to  do,  until  his  capital  was  eighty 
thousand.  He  then  covenanted  with  the  Lord  that 
hereafter,  whatever  his  increase  be  over  ninety 
thousand  dollars,  it  should  be  entirely  devoted  to 
His  service.  "And,"  said  Bro.  Clanin,  "many 
years  have  passed  since  then,  and  I  have  made  a 
good  many  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  it  has 
been  my  happiness  to  give  every  cent  of  it  to  the 
cause  of  God." 

He  was  at  the  time  of  my  visit,  contributing  to 
the  building  of  a  large  free  seated  church  in  Bos- 
ton, to  the  amount  of  several  thousand  dollars. 
The  sunshine  of  a  heart  at  rest,  beamed  from  his 
countenance.  His  life  was  a  perpetual  benedic- 
tion; and  to  me,  his  memory  and  the  kindly  utter- 
ances and  lessons  I  learned  in  that  interview  with 
my  friend,  Lee  Clanin,  of  Boston,  have  been  like 
ointment  poured  forth,  of  perpetual  fragrance. 


254  RECOLLECTIONS. 

At  the  close  of  the  conference  I  took  the  steamer 
from  Fall  River  for  New  York,  intending  to  spend 
a  couple  of  weeks  there  in  soliciting  funds  for  our 
church.  This  was  my  first  and  only  sea  voyage, 
and  I  enjoyed  it  exceedingly. 

Arriving  in  New  York,  I  made  my  way -at  once 
to  200  Mulberry  street,  and  was  there  frankly 
informed  by  the  preachers,  whom  I  met,  "that  the 
prospect  for  getting  funds  for  a  church  building  in 
Minnesota  was  very  poor;  that  so  great  had  been 
the  financial  pressure  of  late  that  every  official 
board  had  requested  the  city  pastors  not  to  give 
the  name  of  a  single  member  of  their  respective 
charges  to  any  one  who  was  soliciting  funds." 
I  saw  that  they  intended  to  heed  the  request. 
This  looked  as  if  my  way  would  be  completely 
hedged  up.  Still  I  determined  not  to  leave  the 
city  without  at  least  making  an  honest  effort  to 
succeed. 

While  thinking  about  how  I  should  proceed,  I 
took  up  a  paper,  which  fortunately  contained  a  full 
list  of  the  contributors  to  the  purchase  of  the  "Old 
Brewery,"  at  "Five  Points."  This  I  knew  was  a 
Methodist  enterprise;  and  here,  I  judged,  would 
be  found  the  names  of  the  most  wealthy  or  most 
liberal  members  of  the  church.  Accordingly,  I 
sat  down  and  made  a  copy  of  the  names  of  every 
individual  who  had  given  twenty  dollars  and  up- 
wards to  that  fund.  Then,  obtaining  a  city  direc- 
tory, I  made  a  list  of  their  residences  and  places  of 
business.  Next,  I  took  a  map  of  the  city  and 
grouped  together  those  whose  places  of  business 


KECOLLECTIONS.  255 

were  located  contiguously,  and  then  I  was  ready 
to  set  out. 

In  the  meantime  Bishop  Janes  had  given  me 
a  note  of  introduction;  but  at  the  same  time 
apologizing,  almost,  for  so  doing,  by  stating  that  he 
would  not  feel  justified  in  even  doing  this,  only  that 
Minnesota  was  missionary  ground,  and  must  have 
help.  Kev.  David  Terry  very  kindly  made  me 
welcome  to  his  home  while  I  remained  in  the  city, 
which  was  also  a  great  help  to  the  work. 

The  two  weeks'  effort,  which  I  at  that  time  made 
in  New  York,  proved  one  of  the  most  annoying  and 
trying  that  I  had  ever  undertaken.  Usually, 
about  such  a  conversation  as  the  following  would 
ensue  on  my  calling  at  the  office  or  residence  of 
some  of  these  Methodist  brethren.  After  present- 
ing Bishop  Janes'  note,  which  spoke  of  me  as  a 
friend  of  his,  the  brother  would  read  and  say: — 

"Minnesota!     Where  is  that?" 

My  reply  would  be,  "You  have  heard  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi river?" 

"O,  yes!" 

"And  you  have  heard  of  St.  Louis?" 

"Well— yes!" 

"Then,  if  you  will  take  a  steamboat  at  St.  Louis 
and  go  up  the  Mississippi  a  thousand  miles  you 
will  be  in  Minnesota,  at  the  very  northwestern  ex- 
tremity of  the  settled  portion  of  the  United  States. 
There,  in  St.  Paul,  the  capital  of  the  territory,  we 
are  trying  to  establish  Methodism;  and  we  are 
building  a  Methodist  church,  and  we  need  help, 
very  much." 


256  EECOLLECTIONS. 

"Who  gave  you  my  name?" 

"Nobody." 

"How  did  you  find  me  out?" 

"Well,"  I  would  say,  "I  had  either  the  good  or 
ill  fortune  to  be  born  in  Vermont,  and  have  been 
exercising  my  Yankee  prerogative  of  'guessing' 
that  you  were  a  clever  sort  of  man  and  would  like 
to  help  us!"  In  one  instance,  at  this  remark  of 
mine,  the  hand  of  the  party  addressed  went  into 
the  pocket,  a  two  dollar  bill  was  produced,  and  the 
hand  with  the  money  was  thrust  at  me  from  be- 
hind without  a  word;  the  action  plainly  signifying 
— take  this,  and  leave! 

Before  the  Sabbath  came  I  had  had  several 
invitations  to  preach;  but  no  one  was  willing  that 
I  should  use  his  pulpit  to  mention  the  subject  of 
my  mission,  nor  take  up  a  collection  for  my  work. 
However,  I  preached  for  them  in  "Janes'  Street," 
as  well  as  I  could,  and  on  Monday  morning  started 
out  again.  Meeting  Bishop  Janes  in  the  street, 
he  inquired  how  I  was  getting  on.  I  told  him  I 
thought  rather  poorly,  as  I  had  succeeded  in  get- 
ting but  fifteen  dollars  a  day. 

"Oh,"  said  he,  smiling,  "you  are  doing  splendid- 
ly! Keep  on  while  you  can  do  as  well  as  that!" 

What  I  did  collect  was  in  small  sums,  ranging 
from  fifty  cents  to  ten  dollars.  The  four  Brothers 
Harper  gave  me  five  dollars  stating  that  it  was 
from  the  firm — while  Bro.  George  Stevenson  a 
comparatively  poor  man  gave  me  ten  dollars  and 
wished  he  could  help  me  more.  Some  gave 
grudgingly,  some  willingly — and  nearly  all  were 


EECOLLECTIONS.  257 

courteous  and  kind.  Altogether,  at  the  end  of  the 
two  weeks  after  gleaning  the  field  pretty  thorough- 
ly, I  had  collected  about  two  hundred  dollars.  I 
took  the  afternoon  train  on  Monday,  having 
preached  again  on  the  second  Sunday,  and  reached 
home  on  the  20th  of  June. 

The  work  on  my  district  was  about  as  it  had 
been  the  previous  year,  and  was  attended  with  the 
blessing  of  the  Lord  in  the  saving  of  many  who 
were  added  to  the  church. 

Bro.  George  Chester  who  was  on  the  La  Crosse 
circuit,  did  a  hard  year's  work.  His  charge  was 
over  two  hundred  miles  in  circumference,  as  he 
traveled  it,  and  it  was  an  exceedingly  rough  coun- 
try. Over  this  he  had  journeyed  on  foot  and  filled 
all  his  appointments.  But  this  labor  proved  too 
exhausting  for  him.  He  was  taken  ill  with  ty- 
phoid fever,  and,  though  he  lived  after  convales- 
cing for  some  time  he  never  regained  his  health. 
He  was  a  young  man  of  much  promise,  and  of 
deep  piety,  He  died  in  great  peace,  some  years 
after,  a  martyr  to  his  zeal. 

Many  of  us  knew  something  by  experience  of 
what  it  was  to  suffer  for  Christ's  sake  in  those 
days.  The  country  was  new,  the  work  hard,  the 
way  rough,  and  sometimes  perilous,  the  pay  poor. 

On  one  of  my  trips  that  year  from  Prairie  du 
Chien  to  Black  river  I  killed  fourteen  rattlesnakes. 

This  year  our  conference  met  at  Fond  du  Lac, 
Wisconsin;  Bishop  Ames,  presiding.  I  was  re- 
turned to  the  district  for  the  fourth  year.  My 
district— now  extended  from  Prairie  du  Chien  to 


258  RECOLLECTIONS. 

Sandy  Lake,  (Rev.  Samuel  Spates,  missionary) 
a  distance  of  eight  hundred  miles — includ- 
ing St.  Paul,  T.  M.  Fullerton;  St.  Anthony, 
E.  C.  Jones;  St.  Peter,  S.  L.  Leonard;  Stillwater, 
R.  Dudgeon;  Willow  River,  George  Chester; 
Round  Prairie,  Nicholas  Mayne;  Chippewa,  sup- 
plied; La  Orosse,  Jessie  Pardun;  Black  River 
Falls,  supplied.  The  work  was  more  difficult  this 
year  than  before  and  the  hardships  greater.  But 
my  health  was  good  and  I  was  able  to  visit  all  my 
charges  on  the  lower  part  of  the  district  and  hold 
their  quarterly  meetings  twice  before  winter. 
The  winter  was,  as  usual,  devoted  to  pushing  the 
work  in  Minnesota.  I  was  able  also  to  secure  two 
lots  in  St.  Anthony  for  a  church  and  parsonage; 
and  with  the  assistance  of  two  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars,  the  gift  of  a  friend  in  Baltimore,  Bro. 
Jones  succeeded  in  erecting  on  one  of  the  lots,  a 
small  frame  church,  and  subsequently  a  parsonage 
was  built.  The  parsonage  is  still  the  same  with 
some  improvements,  and  the  church,  which  later 
was  enlarged,  gave  way  in  1872  to  the  present  fine 
building  on  the  same  lot.  The  old  church  may 
yet  be  seen  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street  to 
which  it  was  removed  when  sold. 

Five  hundred  dollars  was  received  from  "Zach- 
ens"  of  Baltimore  by  Bishop  Janes  to  be  a  per- 
petual loan  and  to  be  used  in  the  building  of 
churches.  Two  hundred  and  fifty  of  this  was  ap- 
plied to  the  church  at  St.  Anthony,  and  to  be  se- 
cured by  mortgage  as  soon  as  the  title  could  be 
perfected.  The  other  two  hundred  and  fifty  was 


RECOLLECTIONS.  259 

loaned  to  B.  F.  Hoyt,  on  interest,  and  at  the  end 
of  my. fourth  year  on  the  district,  both  the  note 
and  the  claim  on  St.  Anthony  M.  E.  church  were 
handed  over  to  my  successor,  David  Brooks. 

Early  in  the  spring,  I  made  preparations  to  visit 
Sandy  Lake,  to  reach  which  I  had  to  ascend  the 
Mississippi  four  hundred  miles,  mostly  in  a  bark 
canoe.  This  point,  with  our  Indian  missions  at 
the  head  of  Lake  Superior,  had  been  attached  to 
the  Wisconsin  conference  in  1852,  and  in  1853  fell 
into  my  district. 

I  engaged  Bro.  Jacob  Fulstrom,  an  old  voyagetir, 
an  employe  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  and 
familiar  with  all  that  country,  to  be  superintendent 
and  generalissimo  of  our  expedition.  This  Bro. 
Fulstrom  was  the  first  fruit  of  our  mission  among 
the  Indians,  and  was  converted  on  this  wise: 
Residing  within  a  mile  of  Fort  Snelling,  at  "Cold 
Spring,"  he  had  been  employed  occasionally  by 
the  Presbyterian  missionaries,  and  had  been  told 
by  them  that  "the  Methodists  were  coming." 
Anxious  to  know  who  these  might  be,  he  was  in- 
formed that  they  were  a  kind  of  religious  people, 
who  were  very  noisy  and  demonstrative;  that  they 
shouted  and  hallooed  and  stamped;  that  they 
would  often  strike  the  Bible  when  they  preached; 
and  sometimes  would  knock  the  pulpit  down,  they 
were  so  earnest.  This  account  greatly  interested 
"Jacobs,"  as  he  was  called,  in  the  expected  mis- 
sionaries, and  on  the  arrival,  not  long  after,  of 
Bro.  Alfred  Brunson,  accompanied  by  Bro.  David 
King  as  missionary,  Jacobs  was  on  the  alert  to 


260  RECOLLECTIONS. 

hear  and  see  all  that  might  be  said  or  done  by 
them. 

Major  Plimpton,  of  Fort  Suelling,  to  accommo- 
date the  people  who  were  anxious  to  hear  the 
Methodist  missionary,  fitted  up  the  hospital,  the 
largest  room  in  the  fort,  with  a  temporary  pulpit, 
and  there  Bro.  King  preached  on  the  first  Sunday 
after  arriving.  His  text  was:  "Awake  thou  that 
sleepest  and  arise  from  the  dead,  and  Christ  shall 
give  thee  light."  Eph.  V.,  14 

Bro.  King  belonged  to  the  school  of  demonstra- 
tive preachers,  and  after  a  time  becoming  very 
much  engaged,  he  brought  down  his  hand  with 
force  upon  the  Bible  and — away  went  the  pulpit. 
This  was  precisely  what  Jacobs  was  expecting,  and 
with  the  performance  he  was  very  much  delighted. 
He  made  up  his  mind  that  this  was  the  usual  way 
"these  Methodists  did."  Looking,  listening,  watch- 
ing, alive  with  interest,  he  only  waited  until  Bro. 
King  came  down  towards  the  door;  when,  going 
to  him,  and  taking  his  hand  in  both  of  his,  he  ex- 
claimed, "My  name  Jacobs;  I  want  to  join  you!" 

A  Swedish  boy,  sent  off  when  but  a  child,  pro- 
bably by  those  who  wished  to  obtain  his  inherit- 
ance; set  adrift  in  Hudson  Bay;  a  trusted  em- 
ploye of  the  English  fur  traders  for  many  years; 
married  to  an  Indian  wife — his  life  had  truly  been 
an  eventful  one.  He  became  devotedly  attached 
to  Bro.  King;  joined  the  church;  became  savingly 
converted,  and  lived  to  be  of  much  use  among  his 
adopted  people,  and  very  helpful  to  the  mission- 
aries as  an  interpreter.  He  died  a  happy  Christian. 


RECOLLECTIONS:  261 

Arriving  at  Crow  Wing,  we  remained  over  Sun- 
day. I  preached  at  Fort  Ripley;  dined  with  Col. 
Todd,  brother-in-law  of  Abraham  Lincoln.  To 
Col.  Todd,  commandant  of  the  fort,  the  missionaries 
are  indebted  for  many  courtesies  and  much  kind- 
ness. 

At  Fort  Ripley  we  hired  a  young  Frenchman, 
with  a  birch-bark  canoe,  and  laid  in  provisions  for 
the  remainder  of  the  trip.  About  noon  on  Monday 
we  were  under  way  and  camped  that  night  about 
sixteen  miles  up  the  river.  The  next  day  we 
passed  through  Rabbit  Portage,  an  Indian  village, 
by  following  up  the  Rabbit  river,  a  small  stream 
on  the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi;  then  through 
another  lake;  down  a  small  stream;  then  through 
a  lake  of  considerable  extent,  which  was  very 
beautiful  and  star-like  in  shape.  From  thence  we 
carried  our  canoe  and  baggage  about  a  quarter  of 
a  mile,  to  the  Mississippi  again.  By  this  route  we 
gained  some  thirty  miles  of  up  stream  navigation 
while  traveling  twelve. 

Our  route,  during  the  remainder  of  the  trip,  ran 
through  Bro.  Jacobs'  old  hunting  grounds,  and 
he  pointed  out  the  different  localities  where  he  had 
frequently  caught  and  hunted  otter,  moose,  elk, 
bear  and  deer.  At  night  we  camped  on  a  beautiful 
flat,  embowered  with  balsam  and  spruce,  and  slept 
most  sweetly.  The  next  day,  by  making  a  portage 
of  less  than  one  hundred  feet,  across  a  bend  of  the 
river,  we  saved  a  distance  of  five  miles  of  paddling. 
We  camped,  the  last  night,  out  on  a  pine  plateau, 
and,  starting  early  the  next  morning,  reached 


262  RECOLLECTIONS. 

Sandy  Lake  about  2  p.  M.  Here  we  were  joyfully 
welcomed  by  Bro.  Samuel  Spates  and  wife,  who 
had  been  faithfully  laboring  in  this  place  among 
the  Indians,  since  1847. 

I  found  the  mission  prospering  and  the  mis- 
sionaries much  beloved  by  the  Christian  Indians. 
A  school  had  been  established;  quite  a  number  of 
the  children  had  learned  to  read,  and  between 
twenty  and  thirty  had  been  converted.  I  remained 
with  them  four  days;  preached  several  times 
through  Bro.  Fulstrom  as  interpreter;  held  a 
council  with  the  clan;  and  baptized  Bro.  Spates' 
youngest  son.  I  enjoyed  the  visit  much. 

On  our  arrival  at  the  mission,  I  had  paid  and 
discharged  the  Frenchman,  who  returned  to  Fort 
Ripley  with  the  canoe.  My  intention  was  to  return 
by  way  of  Mille  Lac  and  arrange  for  a  mission 
there,  but  while  we  were  still  at  Sandy  Lake,  a 
great  council  of  the  Indians  was  called  at  Watab 
for  the  next  week;  and  as  all  the  Mille  Lac  In- 
dians would  be  at  the  council,  we  were  obliged  to 
buy  a  canoe  and  return  by  the  river.  The  council 
was  called  because  the  Winnebagoes,  who  were 
located  at  Long  Prairie,  some  one  hundred  miles  dis- 
tant, had  wantonly  murdered  two  Chippewa  Indians. 
The  question  to  be  settled  was  as  to  whether 
the  avenger  of  blood  could  be  bought  off,  and  so 
save  the  death  of  many  Winnebagoes,  and  perhaps 
long  continued  bloodshed.  But  the  council  did  not 
succeed  in  making  peace.  Hole-in-the-Day,  a  lead- 
ing chief,  ended  it  by  declaring  that,  "Nothing  but 
blood  can  atone  for  the  killing  of  the  Chippewa." 


RECOLLECTIONS.  263 

The  result  was  that  the  Winnebagoes  left  their 
home  fit  Long  Prairie,  and,  shortly  after,  were 
located  by  Governor  Gorman  on  the  Blue  Earth 
river;  thus  putting  the  Sioux  between  them  and 
their  enemies,  the  Chippewas. 

While  holding  the  council  with  the  Chippewa 
clan  at  Sandy  Lake,  of  course  I  had  to  make  them 
a  speech.  I  told  them,  that  several  winters  before, 
I  had  lived  many  day's  travel  south,  in  the  same 
country  with  Brother  and  Sister  Spates ;  that  I  had 
known  them  a  long  time  before  they  came  to  this 
country;  (Just  here  Sister  Spates  said,  "Tell  them 
we  had  plenty  to  eat,  and  many  friends"),  so  I 
added  that  they  had  had  good,  kind  friends,  good 
houses  to  live  in,  good  fathers  and  mothers  and 
brothers  and  sisters,  and  plenty  of  beef  and  pork, 
plenty  of  flour  and  corn  and  milk  and  butter,  and 
clothes;  that  the  good  people  in  that  "south-land" 
having  heard  that  the  Great  Spirit  had  some  red 
children  up  here,  who  did  not  know  Him,  and  did 
not  do  what  was  right;  that  these  red  children  had 
not  heard  of  their  Savior,  who  died  to 
save  them,  and  bring  them  to  Heaven;  that 
these  praying  people  in  the  "south-land"  had  sent 
Bro.  Spates  and  Bro.  Huddlestoii  to  teach  them 
and  help  them;  that  Bro.  Spates  had  stayed  with 
them  two  years  and  then  had  gone  back  to  see 
whether  he  could  get  a  young  lady  to  come  and 
help  him  to  teach  them;  that  Sister  Spates  had 
come,  and  they  had  been  with  them  now  many 
years,  not  to  trade  with  them  or  cheat  them  out  of 


264  EECOLLECTIONS. 

their  furs  or  skins,  but  just  to  do  them  good,  and  tell 
them  of  the  blessed  Jesus ;  that  if  the  red  brothers 
would  be  kind  to  Brother  and  Sister  Spates, 
and  send  the  children  to  school,  they  would  stay 
with  them  and  help  them  and  teach  them  still;  that 
if  they  would  not  do  this,  then  Brother  and  Sister 
Spates  would  have  to  go  back  to  their  kind  friends 
in  the  "south-land;"  that  I  had  come  from  St.  Paul 
to  see  them  and  to  learn  what  they  intended  to  do: 
and  now  I  wanted  their  answer. 

When  I  sat  down  Bu-sha,  the  chief  of  the  clan — 
a  tall,  hard  looking  Indian  with  a  restless  look — 
rose,  came  forward,  and  shook  hands  with  me,  and 
with  all  the  others  present;  then,  straightening 
himself  to  his  full  six  feet,  he  said,  extending  his 
long  hand  and  arm: — 

"I  am  known  from  Mackinaw  to  Gull  lake. 
They  talk  about  me  across  the  great  water. 
Everybody  knows  that  I  speak  the  truth.  [He 
was  a  noted  liar.]  We  have  heard  your  words. 
We  are  glad  that  you  came,  and  have  spoken.  All 
the  Indians  here  want  a  missionary,  and  we  want 
no  one  but  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spates.  We  like  them. 
We  have  not  sent  our  children  to  school  much. 
We  cannot  send  them  in  the  spring  when  we  go 
away  to  make  sugar.  We  cannot  send  them  in  the 
fall  when  we  go  to  gather  rice.  [Wild  rice.]  We 
cannot  send  them  when  we  go  to  hunt.  But  we 
will  send  them  when  we  are  here.  We  want 
Brother  and  Sister  Spates  and  we  don't  want  you  to 
take  them  away." 


RECOLLECTIONS.  265 

To  this  speech  the  Indians  assented  by  the 
usual,  "Ho!!  Ho!!"  I  told  them  that  their  teach- 
ers should  be  left  with  them  another  year,  and 
after  that  we  would  see  how  well  they  had  kept 
their  promise. 

Then  we  went  down  to  Watab  and  attended  the 
great  council;  saw  the  Mille  Lac  Indians  and  ar- 
ranged with  them  for  a  mission;  which  mission 
continued  several  years,  Bro.  Jacob  Fulstrom 
being  the  missionary.  We  also  met  here  Gov- 
ernor Stevens  as  he  was  starting,  with  about  fifty 
men,  across  the  then  untraveled  wilderness  for 
Puget  Sound.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  council  we 
put  our  canoe  on  board  the  steamer  "Gov.  Bam- 
sey,"  and  were  soon  at  home. 

The  remainder  of  that  summer  I  traveled  in  al- 
most every  way:  by  stage,  wagon,  ox-cart,  buggy,  and 
on  foot;  by  fording  and  swimming;  by  steamboat, 
on  a  barge;  by  raft,  in  a  skiff  and  by  canoe;  in 
short,  in  any  way  in  which  I  could  reach  my  ap- 
pointments and  preach  the  Word  of  life  to  the 
people  and  build  up  the  church — I  journeyed  and 
labored. 

Preaching  in  our  one  church  in  St.  Paul,  in 
school  houses,  in  hotels,  in  private  houses,  in  barns, 
in  groves  and  in  saw  mills,  in  every  place  in  which 
I  could  get  a  congregation  together, — I  declared, 
so  far  as  in  me  lay,  the  whole  counsel  of  God. 

During  the  winter  of  1852-3,  two  members  of 
the  New  England  conference,  Revs.  Nutting  and 
Nichols,  came  out  as  the  agents  of  a  colony  to  se- 
lect a  location  for  settlement  in  Minnesota.  I 

i  18 


266  RECOLLECTIONS. 

took  considerable  pains  to  assist  these  gentlemen, 
hoping  that  the  coming  of  such  a  colony  would  be 
alike  beneficial  to  the  colonists  and  to  the  state. 
After  looking  the  best  locations  over,  we  finally 
selected  the  land  on  the  Cannon  river — where  the 
city  of  Northfield,  the  seat  of  Carlton  College  now 
stands— a  site  hardly  to  be  surpassed  for  milling 
and  farming  facilities.  The  colonists  came  in  the 
spring;  went  over  the  country;  visited  the  place 
selected,  and  came  down  to  Red  Wing,  through 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  desirable  sections  of 
the  territory,  and  there  reported  that  they  "had 
seen  nothing  worthy  of  attention!"  Most  of  them 
apparently  disgusted  with  the  country,  returned 
to  the  East,  while  those  who  remained,  scattered 
in  various  directions. 

The  two  ministers  settled  here.  Mr.  Nutting, 
whose  health  was  feeble,  lived  among  us  for  a  few 
years,  a  worthy  Christian  man,  much  respected. 
Mr.  Nichols  soon  joined  the  Congregationalists ;  but 
after  preaching  for  that  denomination  a  few  years, 
united  with  the  Presbyterians.  Some  eight  years 
afterwards  he  was  drowned  in  Lake  Calhoun. 

The  conference  met  in  1853,  at  Baraboo;  Bishop 
Scott,  presiding. 

I  was  soon  informed  by  the  bishop  and  others 
that  the  church  at  Milwaukee  had  been  using 
what  influence  it  could  exert  on  the  bishop,  to  have 
me  sent  to  that  city  and  stationed  at  Spring  street 
church,  where  it  was  thought  I  was  needed.  This 
seemed  to  me  then,  and  has  ever  since  appeared, 
not  only  an  unwise  but  also  an  unkind  and  un- 


RECOLLECTIONS.  267 

necessary  change.  With  this  view  of  the  matter  I 
represented  to  the  bishop  that  I  thought  I  had 
better  not  be  sent  to  Milwaukee.  But  the  bishop 
was  inflexible,  the  cabinet  inexorable,  and  the 
Milwaukee  friends  unchangeable  and  determined 
to  have  me,  so  despite  my  protest,  I  was  appointed 
to  Spring  street  church,  Milwaukee. 

During  conference,  after  preaching  the  mis- 
sionary sermon  on  Sunday,  the  fifth  day  of  the 
session,  I  was  taken  seriously  sick  with  what 
threatened  to  be  bilious  fever.  From  this  illness 
I  was  relieved  by  a  hydropathic  ice  water  pack, 
which  induced  such  a  copious  perspiration  that  in 
two  days  I  was  comparatively  well.  Returning 
home,  much  against  the  best  judgment  and  incli- 
nation of  my  wife  and  myself,  we  began  to  pack 
up  for  our  journey  of  five  hundred  miles  to  Mil- 
waukee; and  reached  that  city  in  two  weeks. 


268  RECOLLECTIONS. 


CHAPTEE  XXL 

T  FOUND  Spring  street  church,  Milwaukee, 
-*•  large,  zealous  and  united,  and  began  my  work 
with  encouraging  indications.  From  the  manifes- 
tations of  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  and  the  enthusi- 
asm and  cordiality  with  which  the  people  received 
us,  it  seemed  that  the  hand  of  the  Master  was 
overruling  this  appointment  for  good.  Conver- 
sions soon  began  to  be  numerous;  the  congrega- 
tions were  large  and  attentive;  prayer  meetings 
overflowing  and  the  classes,  unusually  well  attend- 
ed. 

We  had  held  a  very  profitable  watch-night  meet- 
ing, taking  into  the  church  on  probation  in  the 
first  half  hour  of  the  new  year,  about  twelve 
persons;  among  whom  were  Isaac  E.  Springer, 
now  of  Michigan  conference,  and  his  twin  sister. 
But  early  on  the  morning  of  the  first  of  January, 
a  fire  broke  out  in  a  blacksmith's  shop  adjoining 
our  church  property;  and  before  eight  o'clock  our 
large,  well  built  church,  which  had  but  a  few  hours 
before  resounded  with  the  praises  of  God,  and  the 
rejoicings  of  new  born  souls,  was  consumed  by  the 
flames;  nothing  remaining  but  the  blackened  walls. 

This  deranged  all  my  plans  for  the  winter;  for 


RECOLLECTIONS.  269 

among  other  things  I  had  intended  to  hold  a  pro- 
tracted meeting,  seeing  hopeful  evidences  of  a 
revival.  But  we  went  to  work  to  rebuild;  not, 
however,  on  the  old  site.  A  better  location  was 
purchased  and  a  church,  on  the  plan  of  the  Clarke 
street  church,  Chicago,  arranged  for  and  built  by 
my  successors.  We  hired  a  part  of  "Young's 
Hall,"  standing  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river 
from  where  our  church  had  stood,  and  which  was 
the  best  we  could  do.  This  we  occupied  for 
Sabbath  services,  and  held  there,  for  a  short  time,  a 
series  of  week-night  meetings.  These  could  not 
be  made  the  success  that  we  desired;  as  during  the 
progress  of  our  services  the  other  parts  of  the 
"Hall"  were  frequently  occupied  by  concerts,  and 
balls,  the  noise  from  which  disturbed  us  very 
much;  the  rooms  in  which  these  were  held,  being  di- 
rectly over  our  heads.  And  soon,  too,  the  owners 
of  the  "Hall"  objected  to  the  continuance  of  our 
meetings  "as  they  interfered,"  they  said,  "with  the 
renting  of  the  other  parts  of  the  'Hall'  for  social 
purposes."  Consequently  we  had  to  close  our  week- 
day meetings  twenty  having  been  converted. 

Conference  met  at  Janesville  the  following  year ; 
Bishop  Morris,  presiding. 

Jessie  T.  Peck,  missionary  secretary,  visited  us. 
He  was  then  filling  out  the  unexpired  term  of  Dr. 
Monroe,  lately  deceased.  J.  V.  Watson,  editor  of 
the  "Northwestern  Christian  Advocate,"  was  also 
present;  and  Dr.  Hinman,  president-elect  of  our 
Northwestern  University.  These  were  at  that  time 
three  of  our  most  noted  men,  and  they  each  did 


270  RECOLLECTIONS. 

us  good  service  both  in  the  pulpit  and  on  the 
platform. 

Dr.  Hinman  and  I  roomed  together.  He  was 
not  well,  and  I  was  convinced  from  his  appearance, 
that  he  had  been  too  long  in  a  malarial  country; 
and  ventured  to  advise  that  he  return,  as  quickly 
as  possible,  to  his  native  hills  of  Vermont.  He 
thought  my  fears  were  groundless.  However,  in 
about  two  weeks  afterward,  he  did  start  for  Ver- 
mont; but  it  was  too  late.  He  was  attacked  with 
bilious  fever  on  the  way  and  died  before  reaching 
his  old  home. 

During  this  session  I  was  urged  by  several  of 
my  old  friends  from  the  Bacine  district  and  else- 
where to  preach;  and  to  gratify  their  importunity, 
I  suppose — the  committee  on  public  worship  ar- 
ranged for  me  to  occupy  Sabbath  evening.  I  spoke 
from  Rom.  I.,  17:  "For  herein  is  the  righteousness 
of  God  revealed,  from  faith  to  faith;  as  it  is  writ- 
ten, the  just  shall  live  by  faith."  God  gave  me  un- 
usual liberty  and  "a  measure  of  the  spirit  to  profit 
withall,"  so  that  I  was  enabled  with  some  clearness 
to  prove: 

First,  that  the  Gospel  shows  the  act  of  creation 
and  the  establishment  of  a  moral  government  to  be 
a  righteous  act.  Secondly,  God's  method  of  justi- 
fying sinners  is  thus  shown  to  be  a  righteous  act. 
Thirdly,  the  final  salvation  of  the  pure  and  the 
final  punishment  of  the  wicked  will  be  in  accord- 
ance with  the  principles  of  immutable  rectitude. 

Among  my  old  friends  who  were  present,  was 
Father  Ebenezer  Washburn,  of  whom  I  have  before 


EECOLLECTIONS.  271 

spoken.  He  WHS  seated  in  the  pulpit,  and  greatly 
enjoyed  the  discourse;  manifesting  his  appreciation 
from  time  to  time  by  the  heartiest  responses.  At 
the  conclusion  he  thanked  me,  with  much  warmth 
and  kindness;  telling  me  that  lie  was  glad  he  had 
heard  that  setting  forth  of  God's  righteousness; 
that  it  was  new  to  him,  and  was  most  satisfactory. 
This  dear  brother,  then  in  his  eighty-fifth  year,  I 
think,  and  for  about  ten  years  a  superanuated  mem- 
ber of  the  New  York  conference,  was  greatly  be- 
loved by  all  who  knew  him;  not  only  for  his  grand 
record,  and  for  his  work's  sake,  but  also  for  the 
sweet  and  helpful  spirit  which  he  constantly  mani- 
fested. He  had  been  the  peer  and  associate,  in 
the  ministry,  of  Nathan  Bangs,  Daniel  Ostrander, 
William  McKendree,  Drs.  Fisk,  Olin  and  others; 
so  that  his  approval  was  very  grateful  to  me,  and 
I  thanked  the  Lord  and  took  courage. 

Another  pleasant  remembrance,  in  connection 
with  this  conference,  is  the  drive  which  Bros. 
Wesley,  Lattin  and  I  gave  to  Drs.  Peck,  Hinman 
and  Watson,  whom  we  took  out  six  miles  to  Mount 
Zion,  an  elevation  of  nearly  two  hundred  feet  on 
Bock  Prairie;  I  asked  Dr.  Peck,  while  we  were 
enjoying  the  lovely  prospect,  to  count  the  wheat- 
stacks  which  were  in  sight.  He  did  so,  and  there 
were  more  than  two  thousand. 

My  appointment  to  the  Milwaukee  district  neces- 
sitated my  removing  my  family  to  Waukesha.  Here 
Bro.  I.  M.  Leihy  had  succeeded  in  building  a 
comfortable  district  parsonage,  in  which  we  were 
soon  established.  And  I,  with  a  newly  purchased 


272  EECOLLECTIONS. 

horse  and  buggy,  commenced  my  work.  This  dis- 
trict was  very  large  and  the  roads,  with  one  or  two 
exceptions,  miserable ;  yet,  though  frequently  much 
exhausted,  I  was  able  to  meet  all  the  appointments 
through  the  year.  The  charges  were  nearly  all 
blessed  with  good  revivals,  and  the  membership  of 
the  district  was  increased  several  hundred. 

About  the  middle  of  the  year  my  wife,  who  had 
never  been  robust,  was  prostrated  with  a  severe 
illness,  and  confined  to  her  bed  the  remainder  of 
the  year.  This  increased  my  cares  and  added 
greatly  to  my  labor  and  anxiety,  as  it  was  necessary 
for  me  to  be  with  her  as  much  as  possible. 

At  the  following  conference,  which  met  at 
Racine,  Bishop  Janes,  presiding,  I  told  the  bishop 
and  the  brethren,  frankly,  in  the  cabinet,  that  I 
could  not  care  for  the  district  without  neglecting 
my  wife;  and  that  I  could  not  care  for  my  wife 
without  neglecting  the  district:  hence,  I  must  ask 
for  another  field  of  labor.  I  also  stated  to  them 
that  my  wife  greatly  desired  to  return  to  Minne- 
sota, where  she  had  enjoyed  much  better  health, 
and  that  it  was  my  wish  to  be  sent  there.  Ac- 
cordingly, I  was  appointed  to  Red  Wing,  Minne- 
sota. At  the  same  conference  my  brother  was 
appointed  presiding  elder  on  the  Winona  district, 
Minnesota. 

At  this  conference  we  elected  delegates  to  the 
General  conference  of  1856,  to  meet  at  Indianapolis. 
And  as  we,  as  a  conference,  were  known  to  be 
among  the  radicals  on  the  question  of  slavery, 
there  was  a  good  deal  of  figuring  among  the 


KECOLLECTIONS.  273 

brethren  so  as  to  send  an  ultra  anti-slavery  dele- 
gation to  represent  the  conference.  The  effort  was 
successful;  the  delegates  being,  I.  M.  Leihy,  C. 
Hobart  and  Henry  Summers ;  with  N.  Requa  and 
A.  Brunson,  reserves. 

My  wife  being  still  very  feeble,  in  order  to 
remove  her  to  Minnesota  safely,  we  arranged 
a  bed  in  a  carriage,  and  by  easy  stages  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  her  to  Galena  in  six  days. 
I  should  not  have  attempted  to  have  her  take  such 
a  journey  at  that  time,  but  from  the  fact  that  while 
we  had  been  in  Minnesota  her  health  had  been 
much  improved;  and  we  hoped  that  the  change 
now,  could  we  get  her  there  comfortably,  would  be 
beneficial.  So  it  proved;  for  from  the  time  of  our 
getting  settled  there,  indeed,  almost  from  our  set- 
ting out  for  Minnesota,  her  strength  and  vitality 
increased.  From  Galena  to  Red  Wing  our  travel 
was  accomplished  with  little  difficulty;  as  we  were 
on  the  steamboat  with  my  old  friend,  Captain 
Smith,  commanding,  and  he  spared  no  paine  to 
make  us  comfortable. 

Red  Wing,  now  the  county  seat  of  Goodhue 
county,  and  a  beautiful  city  of  nearly  eight 
thousand  inhabitants,  was,  when  I  first  saw  it,  on 
July  30,  1849,  an  Indian  village,  and  not  open  to 
white  settlers.  Some  three  hundred  Sioux,  men, 
women  and  children,  greeted  the  boat  at  the  land- 
ing; as  filthy  and  ragged  a  set  of  people  as  can  be 
imagined. 

Near  the  southwest  corner  of  our  present  park, 
in  a  corn-field,  stood  a  scaffold  made  of  poles  and 


274  RECOLLECTIONS. 

bark.  On  the  top  of  this,  and  wrapped  in  a  red 
blanket,  with  a  white  rag  for  a  flag,  fluttering  at 
his  head,  lay  an  Indian.  This  man  had  died  a 
few  days  before,  in  consequence  of  his  ambition  to 
be  considered  a  "Wau-kon,"  or  medicine  man.  In 
order  to  show  that  his  claim  to  this  honor  was  true, 
he  had  placed  a  rattlesnake  in  his  blanket  and  car- 
ried it  about,  taking  it  out  and  handling  it  before 
the  people  and  telling  them  on  such  occasions, 
"You  see  the  snake  don't  hurt  me — I  am  "Wau-kon." 
But  the  snake  had  bitten  him,  and  he,  being  too 
proud  to  acknowledge  it  and  procure  the  necessary 
help,  had  received  a  fatal  wound. 

This  was  my  second  arrival  in  Minnesota;  when, 
after  an  absence  of  two  years,  with  my  sick  wife, 
I  returned  in  July,  1853.  I  found  that  things  at 
Red  Wing  had  changed  considerably  for  the  bet- 
ter; there  being  now  about  three  hundred  white 
settlers. 

I  had  sent  money  to  my  brother,  Norris,  who 
had  been  living  in  Red  Wing,  to  put  up  a  house  for 
us;  having  already  purchased  some  lots  of  my 
friend,  Rev.  B.  F.  Hoyt,  one  of  the  principal  pro- 
prietors of  the  town.  The  little  one  story  house 
containing  two  rooms,  was  completed  and  into  it 
we  gladly  came  and  took  up  our  abode.  This 
property  I  have  kept.  It  has  been  enlarged  now 
and  then,  and  still  anwers  the  purpose  of  an 
earthly  home. 

The  only  available  preaching  place  in  town  was 
the  upper  story  of  a  building  which  occupied  the 
site  of  the  present  C.,  M.  &  St.  P.  railroad  depot. 


BEOOLLECTION8.  275 

Here,  for  more  than  a  year,  religious  services  had 
been  held  on  Sunday  by  my  predecessors,  Rev. 
Jabez  Brooks,  A.  M.,  and  Rev.  Matthew  Sorin. 
During  the  week  it  had  served  as  the  school  room 
of  the  preparatory  department  of  Hamline  Uni- 
versity. 

This  university  had  been  chartered  by  the  legis- 
lature two  years  before;  and  the  contract  for  the 
building,  designed  for  the  preparatory  depart- 
ment, had  been  let.  On  my  reaching  Red  Wing, 
the  walls  of  this  building  had  ascended  to  the 
height  of  six  feet.  The  school,  then  in  the  loft  of 
the  storehouse,  was  under  the  care  of  Rev.  Jabez 
Brooks.  The  preparatory  school  building,  was 
completed  so  as  to  be  occupied  the  next  winter  and 
was  the  only  structure  ever  attempted  for  the 
university  while  it  was  located  at  Red  Wing.  The 
money  panic  of  1857,  and  the  depreciation  of  the 
Chicago  and  New  York  property,  the  gift  of 
Bishop  Hamline  to  the  university,  prevented  any 
further  effort  at  building.  This  school  house  we 
occupied  as  a  church,  also,  and  we  thought  it  very 
comfortable. 

Our  congregations  were  good  and  soon  a  gracious 
revival  commenced;  and  this  continued  until  the 
following  spring.  In  the  progress  of  this  revival, 
I  was  greatly  assisted  by  Bro.  Jabez  Brooks,  and 
by  Miss  Sherman,  a  teacher  in  the  school,  and  a 
Christian  lady  of  rare  grace  and  culture,  now  the 
wife  of  Rev.  Daniel  Cobb.  Fifty  were  converted 
during  the  meetings  and  added  to  our  little  society, 
which  strengthened  us  greatly.  The  winter  was  a 


276  RECOLLECTIONS. 

severe  one,  but  as  spring  opened  immigration 
increased  even  more  rapidly  than  before.  Thou- 
sands were  coming  to  our  new  territory. 

As  the  time  for  the  General  conference  at  In- 
dianapolis drew  near,  it  seemed  to  me  quite  doubt- 
ful whether  I  should  be  able  to  attend  it;  for 
although  my  wife's  health  was  improving  she  was 
still  delicate.  However,  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
the  Wisconsin  conference  was  decidedly  anti- 
slavery  and  desired  her  vote  to  be  a  unit  on  that 
subject,  and  that  the  first  reserve  delegate  was  ab- 
sent in  South  America  and  the  second  rather  con- 
servative and  also  that  the  Minnesota  conference 
was  to  be  formed,  and  that  I  was  the  only  delegate 
who  knew  enough  about  this  upper  country  to 
properly  locate  the  boundaries,  I  made  the  best 
arrangements  that  I  could  for  the  comfort  of  my 
family,  and,  trusting  them  to  the  care  of  our 
covenant  keeping  God,  concluded  to  go  to  Indian- 
apolis. On  my  way  there  I  spent  the  Sabbath 
with  my  friend  and  cousin,  William  H.  Taylor,  for 
whom  I  preached  in  the  morning,  and  greatly  en- 
joyed hearing  him  in  the  evening.  He  was  then 
on  a  circuit  near  Shelbyville,  Illinois.  This  was 
our  last  meeting.  He  died  about  ten  years  since; 
died  as  he  had  lived,  a  faithful,  earnest  Christian, 
and  a  true-hearted  man  of  God. 

Conference  met  in  the  state  house,  a  rather 
incommodious  place  for  such  a  gathering.  It  was 
organized  by  the  election  of  Wm.  L.  Harris,  secre- 
tary. I  was  appointed  on  three  committees: 
"Boundaries,"  "Revivals"  and  "Itinerancy."  At 


RECOLLECTIONS.  277 

the  first  meeting  of  the  committee  on  "Boundaries," 
the  request  of  the  Wisconsin  conference  was  taken 
up,  and  the  line,  dividing  the  same  and  determin- 
ing the  limits  of  the  Minnesota  conference  was 
fixed.  This  done  there  remained  but  one  reason 
why  I  should  not  return  home  at  once;  that  was 
to  secure  unity  of  action  by  the  Wisconsin  delega- 
tion, whenever  the  question  of  slavery  should  come 
up.  This  kept  me  at  my  post  and  I  greatly  en- 
joyed the  social  privileges  of  the  occasion. 

Many  of  our  great  men  were  at  that  General  con- 
ference. The  old  men,  who  for  half  a  century 
had  led  in  the  van  and  the  thickest  of  the  fight, 
while  Methodism  had  been  conquering  for  herself 
a  name  and  a  place  and  had  extended  from  the 
Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  were  there:  Davis  and 
Griffith,  from  Baltimore;  Finley  and  Young,  from 
Ohio ;  Cartwright  and  Akers,  from  Illinois ;  Nathan 
and  Heman  Bangs,  from  New  York.  These,  with 
many  others  whose  names  have  become  household 
words  in  our  Methodism,  shed  on  the  business 
and  the  devotional  sessions  of  that  conference,  a 
radiance  which  will  never  be  forgotten. 

Seven  bishops  presided  over  our  deliberations: 
The  venerable  Waugh,  distinguished  not  only  for 
his  eloquence  and  pulpit  power  but  also  for  his 
unvarying  evenness,  and  his  knowledge  of  charac- 
ter; the  portly  Morris,  laconic,  full  of  gentle 
humor,  and  notably  conservative;  the  saintly 
Janes,  whose  every  word  seemed  chosen  with 
wisdom  and  who  as  a  Methodist  bishop,  take  him 
all  in  all,  stands  peerless  among  his  brethren — 


278  RECOLLECTIONS. 

great,  good,  wise,  tender  and  Christlike;  the 
fragile  looking  Scott,  who  with  that  delicate 
organism  of  his,  took  rank  among  the  mightiest 
of  thinkers,  the  clearest  of  logicians  and  the  most 
judicious  of  administrators;  the  silver  tongued 
Simpson;  the  scholarly  Baker,  and  the  statesman- 
like Ames,  then  strong  men — gone  home  now, 
everyone  of  them. 

Early  in  the  session  Drs.  Hanna  and  Jobson,  of 
England,  were  introduced,  as  delegates  from  the 
British  Wesleyan  connection,  and  whose  fraternal 
greetings  we  greatly  enjoyed. 

On  Sabbath,  Dr.  Hanna  preached  a  sermon 
remarkable  for  its  evangelical  sweetness  and  rich- 
ness of  thought.  We  also  received  a  delegation 
from  the  religious  portion  of  the  Wyandotte 
nation,  headed  by  Mo-nen-cue,  their  chief,  asking 
to  be  recognized  as  members  of  the  M.  E.  church, 
instead  of  being  forced  into  the  M.  E.  church 
south,  so  distasteful  to  them.  Rev.  J.  B.  Finley 
through  whose  labors  Mo-nen-cue  had  been  con- 
verted, introduced  the  chief,  giving  a  brief  history 
of  his  own  work  among  the  Indians  and  of  Mo- 
nen-cue's  conversion.  This  brother  concluded  his 
very  impressive  account,  by  jumping  from  the  floor, 
clapping  his  hands  and  exclaiming,  with  a  pathos 
which  was  indiscribable,  that  in  view  of  the 
thousands  who  had  been  converted  through  his 
ministry,  he  was  the  "happiest  old  man  in  the 
world!" 

From  the  social  intercourse  of  the  delegates  it 
soon  became  apparent  that  the  rule,  making  non- 


EEOOLLECTIONS.  279 

slave-holding  a  test  of  membership  in  the  church, 
could  not  at  that  time  be  carried  by  the  majorities 
required.  Hence,  all  that  could  then  be  done  was 
to  see  to  it  that  our  press  was  in  the  grasp  of  men 
who  would  express  the  views  of  the  larger  part  of 
the  church  on  the  subject. 

While  these  things  were  being  considered  I  was 
pleasantly  surprised  to  find  that  Rev.  H.  Requa, 
first  reserve  delegate  from  Wisconsin,  a  man  who 
was  true  and  staunch  on  the  slavery  question,  had 
arrived,  and  would  consent  to  serve  the  remainder 
of  the  session  in  my  place.  Therefore,  in  conse- 
quence of  my  wife's  state  of  health,  and  assured 
that  nothing  would  be  lost  to  the  church  by  my 
absence,  I  requested  leave  from  the  conference  to 
return  home,  stating  that  Bro.  Requa  would  take 
my  place.  My  request  was  granted.  But  Bishop 
Janes  came  to  me  before  I  left  and  almost  scolded 
me  for  asking  permission  to  leave.  Saying  among 
other  things  that  I  was  needed  there;  "No  other 
man  understands  the  work  and  wants  of  the  upper 
Northwest  as  you  do."  And  I  may  say,  that  had 
I  known  the  bishop's  views  concerning  myself  be- 
fore asking  to  be  excused,  I  think  I  should  have 
remained  until  the  close  of  the  session.  However, 
I  was  thankful  to  get  home,  and  find  my  good  wife's 
health  much  improved,  and  the  children  well. 

Everything  was  very  lively  that  summer  in  Min- 
nesota. Immigrants  were  coming  constantly. 
New  counties  were  being  organized.  Cities  and 
villages  springing  up  as  if  by  magic.  Roads  being 
laid  out,  and  the  country  settling  up  in  almost 


280  RECOLLECTIONS. 

every  direction.  The  work  on  my  charge  was  also 
prospering.  Additions  by  letter  were  frequent, 
and  probationers  were  received  almost  every  week. 

Since  we  had  now  been  set  off  as  the  "Minne- 
sota conference,"  including  Minnesota  and  the 
northwest  part  of  Wisconsin,  it  must  needs  be 
that  we  hold  an  annual  conference  of  our  own; 
which  was  arranged  to  meet  at  Bed  Wing,  Sept. 
1856,  for  its  first  session. 

As  Bishop  Simpson,  who  was  to  preside,  was 
detained  by  low  water,  and  the  steamboat 
on  which  he  was  to  arrive  could  not  be 
heard  from,  on  motion  of  C.  Hobart,  at  9  o'clock 
on  the  appointed  morning,  the  conference  was 
called  to  order;  Rev.  Jno.  Kerns  being  elected 
bishop  pro  tern,  and  Rev.  Jabez  Brooks,  secretary. 
We  progressed  fairly  with  our  business  until  about 
eleven  o'clock,  when  to  our  great  joy,  our  anxious- 
ly expected  Bishop  Simpson  arrived  and  took  the 
chair. 

On  Sabbath,  the  bishop  preached  from  II.  Thim. 
IV.,  2:  "Preach  the  Word."  It  was  one  of  his 
grand  sermons.  And  what  an  influence  attended 
it  and  went  out  from  it,  all  over  our  young 
conference!  It  was  like  a  benediction,  and  was 
felt  for  many  days,  as  an  inspiration. 

I  was  returned  to  Red  Wing  for  the  second  year, 
and  entered  upon  my  work  with  much  to  encour- 
age, and  many  to  help  me. 

On  the  18th  of  September  our  youngest  son  was 
born.  We  named  him,  in  memory  of  our  esteemed 
friend  Judge  Thomas,  of  Jacksonville,  111.,  "Wil- 


BECOLLECTIONS.  281 

Ham  Thomas."  The  judge,  a  noble  son  of  the 
Methodist  church  and  who  was  converted  at  her 
altar  in  his  early  manhood,  has  been  for  many 
years  one  of  her  pillars.  And  he  has  been  this 
not  more  by  his  love  for  her  and  loyalty  to  her 
institutions,  than  by  the  honor  reflected  on  her  by 
his  long  life  of  unswerving  integrity.  Eighty 
years  of  unsullied  rectitude,  and  occupying  for 
many  years,  as  he  has,  various  prominent  political 
positions;  yet  such  have  been  his  character  and 
reputation  for  honesty,  that  his  soubriquet  of  the 
"upright  judge,"  is  worthily  bestowed.  The 
higher  the  responsibilities  with  which  Judge 
Thomas  has  been  invested,  the  more  lustrously 
has  shone  the  pure  gold  of  faithfulness  to  the 
trusts  reposed  in  him.  He  still  lives  and  honors 
the  church  and  her  communion. 

Our  dear  little  Willie,  the  judge's  namesake  al- 
though apparently  bright  and  healthy  at  first,  soon 
began  to  grow  thin  and  feeble,  and  for  a  time  it 
seemed  as  if  we  should  not  be  able  to  keep  him; 
but  through  the  good  providence  of  God  and  the 
care  of  Sister  Samuel  Spates  and  other  friends, 
we  succeeded  in  nourishing  him  back  to  health 
and  strength.  And  we  have  had  cause,  ever  since 
to  be  thankful  that  He  who  gave  has  spared  to  us  a 
gift  which  has  been  one  of  the  greatest  earthly 
comforts  of  our  lives. 

The  winter  of  1856-7  proved  another  very  severe 
one;  but  the  inclemency  of  the  weather  did  not 
hinder  our  efforts  in  revival  work.  We  were  glad- 
dened with  the  conversion  of  about  forty  souls 

19 


282  RECOLLECTIONS. 

that  winter  most  of  whom  remain  until  this  day; 
but  "some  have  fallen  asleep." 

Again  in  the  spring  the  tide  of  immigration  set 
in,  strongly;  and  property  quadrupled  in  value,  in 
about  as  many  weeks,  and  money  was  abundant. 
Then  it  seemed  necessary,  and  was  deemed  advis- 
able for  us  to  build  a  church  in  Red  Wing.  For 
this  purpose  a  subscription  was  circulated;  a  suffi- 
cient amount  was  raised,  the  contracts  were  let, 
and  I  spent  a  good  portion  of  my  time  during  the 
following  summer  in  supervising  our  church 
building. 

At  our  conference  the  next  fall,  as  my  wife's 
health  was  too  uncertain  to  justify  me  in  moving 
her,  I  asked  with  great  regret  for  a  supernumerary 
relation,  stating  as  my  reason,  that  I  was  as  well 
able  to  labor  as  ever,  but  that  for  my  wife's  sake  I 
requested  this  relation.  This  was  kindly  granted, 
and  for  about  ten  days  I  was  without  work.  At 
the  expiration  of  that  time  Bro.  T.  M.  Kirkpatrick, 
then  my  presiding  elder,  requested  me  to  take 
charge  of  Lake  City  circuit,  eighteen  miles  from 
Red  Wing.  This  work  would  permit  me  to  be  at 
home  part  of  each  week.  Lake  City  had  been 
united  with  Wabasha  and  Reed's  Landing  and  to 
this  Bro.  E.  Stevenson  had  been  appointed.  Soon 
he  saw  that  Wabasha  and  Reed's  Landing  would  de- 
mand his  entire  time;  and  an  earnest  petition  was 
sent  to  the  presiding  elder,  from  preacher  and  peo- 
ple asking  that  Lake  City  should  be  provided  for 
in  some  other  way.  This  appointment  to  Lake 
City  circuit  was  very  satisfactory  to  myself  and  to 


RECOLLECTIONS.  283 

the  people.  I  went  directly  to  my  work;  and  soon 
organized  a  charge  with  three  appointments: 
Lake  City,  Florence,  and  Wacouta;  with  preaching 
occasionally  at  Central  Point. 

In  the  fall  of  1857,  I  organized  the  first  class  in 
Lake  City,  consisting  of  sixteen  members;  also  a 
class  in  Florence,  and  held  a  protracted  meeting 
there  at  which  about  fifteen  were  converted. 
Most  of  these  have  been  steadfast  and  several  of 
them  remain  worthy  members  of  the  church. 
The  Lake  City  charge  still  remains  one  of  the 
pleasant  appointments  of  the  conference,  and  it 
has  been  supplied  by  some  of  our  best  preachers. 

The  money  crash  of  1857,  came  upon  the  coun- 
try in  the  midst  of  our  prosperity;  and  greatly 
embarrassed  our  church  enterprises.  We  had  re- 
quested the  bishops  to  change  the  time  of  our  con- 
ference from  fall  to  spring;  consequently  we  met 
the  following  April  in  St.  Paul.  . 

At  this  conference  it  was  thought  best  to  form 
that  part  of  Wisconsin  belonging  to  Minnesota,  in- 
to a  separate  district  to  be  called  the  Prescott  dis- 
trict. To  this  I  was  appointed  as  presiding  elder ; 
having  thirteen  charges,  six  of  which  were  left  to 
be  supplied.  This  district  extended  from  St. 
Croix  Falls,  to  the  mouth  of  the  Black  river,  some 
two  hundred  miles  in  length,  and  as  far  east  and 
north  as  the  settlements  had  gone,  and  included 
all  the  inhabitants  along  the  Trempeleau,  Beef, 
Eau  Claire,  Chippewa,  Menomiiiee,  Rush,  Willow 
and  Apple  rivers,  with  their  tributaries. 

The  country  was   rough,    almost   mountainous, 


284  RECOLLECTIONS. 

thinly  settled  and  most  of  it  religiously  un- 
organized. The  roads  were  those  made  by  lum- 
bermen; and  with  scarcely  an  exception,  ran  from 
points  on  the  river  back  to  the  pineries.  But 
there  was  work  that  needed  to  be  done;  the  lost 
sheep  were  to  be  found;  and  I  addressed  myself  to 
my  Master's  business,  with  all  the  strength  and 
ability  I  knew  how  to  exercise;  and  He  helped  me 
mightily.  Three  local  preachers  were  put  in 
charge  of  circuits ;  two  exhorters,  Rev  E.  S.  Havens 
and  E.  Doughty,  both  now  with  the  hosts  above, 
were  licensed  to  preach,  and  put  in  charge  of  new 
work.  Bro.  J.  S.  Anderson  responded  to  my  call, 
through  the  "Northwestern  Christian  Advocate." 
So  that  in  one  way  and  another  the  work  was  sup- 
plied. One  or  two  quarterly  meetings  had  been  held 
in  the  Chippewa  valley,  in  the  fall  of  1857,  by  Rev. 
S.  Bolles,  presiding  elder  of  St.  Paul  district,  and  a 
few  sermons  had  been  preached,  but  the  work 
throughout  was  unorganized.  But  now  "the  time 
to  favor  Ziou,  the  set  time  had  come;"  and  from 
the  first  meeting  held  on  the  Prescott  district,  the 
work  of  salvation  commenced. 

To  tell  of  our  blessed  protracted  meetings 
where  souls  were  so  wondrously  converted;  of  our 
quarterly  meetings,  what  seasons  of  refreshing 
they  were,  and  of  how  the  spirit  of  God  was 
poured  out  at  our  camp-meetings,  would  fill  a 
volume.  We  had  three  small  churches,  one  at 
Hudson,  one  at  Prescott  and  one  at  Pepin;  and 
these  furnished  all  the  accommodation  in  that  line 
which  the  district  afforded.  School  houses  with 


RECOLLECTIONS.  285 

such  buildings  as  we  could  secure,  and  these  often 
crowded  almost  to  suffocation  were  thankfully 
made  available.  And  when  we  could  hold  our 
services  in  a  grove,  or  enjoy  the  privileges  of  a 
camp-meeting,  we  were  glad  indeed,  and  anxious 
to  make  the  occasion  as  profitable  as  possible. 
At  one  of  our  camp-meetings,  held  on  the  River 
Falls  charge,  among  the  many  hundreds  present, 
were  some  leading  Spiritists. 

On  Sunday  I  preached  from  Bom.  III.,  1-2. 
"What  advantage  then  hath  the  Jew?  or  what 
profit  is  there  in  circumcision?  much  every  way, 
chiefly,  because  unto  them  were  committed  the 
oracles  of  God." 

My  object  was  to  show  that  whoever  observed 
the  "oracles  of  God,"  as  a  rule  of  life  profited 
much  every  way.  In  contrasting  the  clear  and 
conclusive  proofs  in  support  of  the  Bible  as  an  in- 
spired rule  of  life,  with  the  absurd  and  unsatisfac- 
tory attempts  to  prove  Mohammedanism,  Shaker- 
ism,  Mormonism,  and  Spiritism,  to  be  such,  I  stat- 
ed that  the  adherents  of  the  last,  that  is  Spiritism, 
admitted  that  the  spirits  often  lied;  and  therefore, 
I  said,  no  one  of  common  sense  would  depend  for 
truth  on  such  pretended  revelations.  To  illustrate 
this  I  told  the  following  annecdote.  Not  long 
since,  in  a  neighboring  state  a  seance  was  held,  at 
which  the  spirit  of  Tom  Paine  was  called  for. 
Answering  to  the  call,  this  conversation  occurred, 
between  the  inquirer  and  the  spirit: 

"Are  you  Tom  Paine?" 

"Yes!" 


286  RECOLLECTIONS. 

"Did  you  write  the  'Age  of  Reason?'  " 

"Yes!" 

"Do  you  now  believe  what  you  then  wrote?" 

"No!" 

"Do  you  now  believe  that  the  Bible  is  true,  and 
that  it  is  the  word  of  God?" 

"Yes!" 

"Are  you  sorry  you  wrote  against  it?" 

"Yes!" 

The  questioner  was  elated  with  the  conversion 
of  the  noted  infidel  and  related  the  conversation  to 
a  friend,  who  doubted  that  there  had  been  any 
conversation  with  Tom  Paine,  and  to  convince  him 
he  went  with  his  friend  to  the  seance  the  next 
night.  Tom  Paine  was  called  for  by  this  gentle- 
man, who  inquired: — 

"Are  you  Tom  Paine?" 

"Yes!" 

"Did  you  write  the  'Age  of  Reason  ?' " 

"Yes!" 

"Do  you  believe  what  you  then  wrote?" 

"Yes!" 

"Don't  you  now  believe  the  Bible  is  true?" 

"No!" 

"Why,  how  is  this,  did  you  not  say  last  night 
that  you  believed  the  Bible  true,  and  that  you 
were  sorry  that  you  wrote  against  it?" 

"Yes!" 

"Then  why  don't  you  say  now  what  you  said 
then?" 

"It's  none  of  your  business!"  said  the  spirit. 

My  large  congregation,  which  had  sat  with  sup- 


RECOLLECTIONS.  287 

pressed  breath  and  with  intense  interest,  upon  this 
denouement,  burst  into  a  roar  of  laughter  that 
seemed  infectious.  I  was  not  quite  prepared  for 
this  outburst;  had  not  intended  to  provoke  laugh- 
ter. But  in  a  moment  recovering  myself,  I  stated 
that  I  had  not  told  this  to  excite  their  mirth,  but 
to  expose  this  abominable  scheme  of  the  devil  to 
ruin  souls.  The  smile  passed  away,  and,  regain- 
ing their  seriousness  and  attention,  the  sermon 
continued  in  an  earnest  effort  to  set  forth  the 
glorious  issue  of  a  life,  regulated  by  the  word  of 
God. 

"When  I  had  finished  speaking,  one  of  the  Spirit- 
ists rose  and  inquired  whether  he  might  be  allowed 
to  answer  the  sermon.  My  reply  was,  "No,  sir! 
This  is  a  Methodist  camp-meeting  and  its  order 
cannot  be  interfered  with. " 

A  few  weeks  after  this  I  was  at  River  Falls,  and 
was  invited  to  dine  with  a  gentleman,  a  former 
Milwaukee  friend,  (but  who  had  turned  Spiritist 
since, )  to  meet,  as  I  afterwards  learned,  this  Spirit- 
ist inquirer  of  the  camp-meeting.  He  took  occa- 
sion to  say  to  me,  "I  think  you  were  too  hard  on 
me  at  the  camp-meeting,  in  not  permitting  me  to 
speak  and  defend  Spiritism." 

"No!"  I  replied,  "I  only  did  what  was  right. 
That  meeting  had  been  published  far  and  wide  as 
a  Methodist  camp-meeting;  hundreds  of  people 
had  come  to  attend  it,  as  such,  and  neither  you  nor 
any  one  else  had  any  right  to  turn  it  into  a  public 
discussion  on  Spiritism.  You  have  a  right  to  ap- 
point and  hold  a  Spiritist  camp-meeting;  and  I, 


288  RECOLLECTIONS. 

if  I  please,  have  a  right  to  attend  it,  but  when  I 
am  there  I  am  under  obligation  to  behave  myself 
as  a  gentleman,  and  I  have  no  right  to  disturb,  or 
attempt  to  change,  the  order  or  plan  of  the  meet- 
ing. If  I  should  hear  said  at  your  meeting  what 
I  do  not  like,  I  can  retire,  but  I  have  no  right  to 
interfere  with  those  having  the  oversight  of  it. 
Neither  did  you  at  that  camp-meeting!  You  were 
wrong,  and  I  was  right!" 

This  ended  the  controversy  on  that  point;  and 
the  hour  or  two  ensuing  was  devoted  to  a  discus- 
sion of  Spiritism,  in  which  I  gave  him  the  best 
logic  that  I  had  against  that  pernicious  theory; 
and  left  him,  I  presume,  as  I  found  him,  wilfully 
deluded.  Although  I  ought  to  say,  that  I  heard  of 
no  more  converts  to  Spiritism  in  that  neighbor- 
hood, while  I  visited  it. 

The  Spring  Valley  camp-meeting,  at  which  this 
incident  occurred,  was  of  great  spiritual  benefit  to 
those  attending  it.  More  than  forty  were  con- 
verted, and  good  seed  was  sown,  which  was  soon 
gathered  by  the  "reapers"  on  the  different  charges 
represented. 

One  good  woman,  of  about  thirty  years,  intelli- 
gent above  the  average,  who  had  been  a  leader  in 
the  dancing  parties  and  fashionable  follies  of  the 
town  where  she  lived,  was  gloriously  converted; 
and  after  a  time  she  rose  to  her  feet  from  her 
knees,  conscious  that  she  had  found  a  new  life  and 
new  joys.  She  stood  erect,  looking  at  herself, 
surveying  her  feet,  her  hands,  herself,  and  then  in 
a  tone  of  earnest  wonderment,  never  to  be  forgot- 


RECOLLECTIONS.  289 

ten  by  those  who  heard,  exclaimed,  "  Where  have 
I  been  all  my  life?  What  have  I  been  doing?" 

The  following  week  the  quarterly  meeting  for 
Bear  creek  charge  was  held;  Rev.  S.  M.  Webster, 
preacher.  Among  this  class,  made  up  of  royal 
Methodists  who  valued  the  privileges  of  their  "high 
calling,"  were  Edmund  Doughty  and  his  wife, 
Aunt  Fanny,  and  Henry  Coleman  and  wife. 
These  two  families  were  related  by'  marriage,  and 
all  the  older  children  of  both  families  were  mem- 
bers of  the  church.  The  quarterly  meeting  was 
held  in  Maxwell's  school  house  on  the  south  side 
of  the  Chippewa  river,  ten  miles  from  its  mouth. 
It  was  a  most  excellent  meeting.  The  presence 
and  power  of  God  were  with  us.  On  Sabbath 
evening  fifteen  were  converted,  and  among  them, 
Johnnie  Doughty,  the  youngest  son  of  Bro.  E. 
Doughty.  So  rich  was  the  blessing  which  little 
Johnnie  found,  that  he  made  the  school  house  ring 
again  with  his  shouts,  and  then  flew  to  the  street 
which  reverberated  with  his  expressions  of  joy  and 
praise.  Bro.  Webster  continued  this  meeting  un- 
til almost  the  entire  valley  of  the  Chippewa  felt 
its  influence.  At  Rock  creek,  fifty  miles  up;  Fall 
creek,  ten  miles  lower  down;  at  Chippewa  village, 
at  the  mouth  of  Bear  creek;  at  a  school  house,  six 
miles  up  the  Bear  creek  valley;  at  Mondovia,  on 
Beef  river;  and  at  the  Rocks,  three  miles  above 
Alma,  on  the  Mississippi,  scores  were  at  each 
place  converted.  At  Pepin,  J.  S.  Anderson,  pastor, 
over  one  hundred  were  converted. 

Bro.  Anderson  was   mentally  built   for  contro- 


290  RECOLLECTIONS. 

versy,  and  for  this  combativeness  he  found  use,  in 
the  first  winter  of  his  itinerant  life.  An  old  Mor- 
mon, who  had  settled  five  miles  back  from  Pepin, 
undertook  to  build  up  that  faith  by  tearing  down 
the  Methodist  church.  There  was  also  a  "good 
brother,"  who  had  been  sent  to  the  village  as  a 
missionary  of  the  "American  Board,"  who  thought 
it  to  be  his  duty  to  expose  the  errors  of  Armenian- 
ism.  Both  of  these  found  to  their  cost  that,  "Pru- 
dence would  have  been  the.  better  part  of  valor," 
for  a  few  broadsides  from  Bro.  Anderson's  battery 
soon  silenced  these  controversialists. 

At  Trimbelle  circuit,  S.  N.  Phelps,  pastor,  there 
were  over  a  hundred  converted;  Prescott,  A.  D. 
Cunningham,  nearly  two  hundred;  at  River  Falls, 
Bro.  Shelby,  eighty;  and  at  Pleasant  Valley,  Wil- 
low River,  Hudson  and  Osceola  extensive  revivals 
also  occurred,  where  many  were  converted  and 
added  to  the  church.  Most  of  these  still  adorn 
their  profession. 

There  are  several  things  which  were  connected 
with  these  revivals  which  deserve  to  be  recorded, 
as  illustrating  Divine  co-operation  in  this  great 
work:  At  the  Point  of  Rocks,  there  lived  a  family, 
the  parents  of  which  had  been  members  of  our 
church  in  former  years,  and  who  asked  that  there 
might  be  preaching  in  their  neighborhood;  pro- 
posing to  open  their  house  for  that  purpose.  Bro. 
Webster  arranged  for  preaching  there,  and  after  a 
time  planned  to  hold  also  a  series  of  evening 
meetings.  At  the  appointed  time  Bro.  Web- 
ster, accompanied  by  his  wife,  and  Bro.  E.  S. 


RECOLLECTIONS.  291 

Havens  and  wife,  arrived,  lie  (Bro.  Webster)  was 
so  ill  that  he  could  not  conduct  the  meeting. 
What  was  to  be  done  ?  A  house  full  of  people  had 
gathered  and  the  services  could  not  be  postponed. 
Bro.  E.  S.  Havens  had  only  just  been  licensed;  had 
never  conducted  a  meeting;  had  only  attempted  to 
preach  once  or  twice,  and  was  one  of  the  most 
timid  and  self-distrustful  of  men — and  yet  there 
was  nothing  for  him  to  do  but  to  preach;  and 
he  and  the  two  ladies  had  to  bear  the  burden 
of  the  meeting.  With  much  trembling  he 
took  his  text;  but  as  he  proceeded  he  received 
such  a  baptism  that  he  was  lifted  far  above  him- 
self, and  preached  the  word  with  such  mighty 
power,  that  men  and  women  were  convicted;  seek- 
ers came  forward  and  sinners  were  converted. 

To  appreciate  the  Divine  power  of  that  hour  it 
will  have  to  be  stated  that  the  most  of  those  that 
night  brought  under  the  influence  of  the  Gospel, 
and  who  cried  to  God  for  pardon,  were  among  the 
roughest  specimens  of  humanity;  the  men  being 
nearly  all  raftsmen,  rivermen,  and  lumbermen. 
Many  of  these  had  brought  their  families  on  large 
hand-sleds  over  the  ice.  One  man  who  had  been 
powerfully  convicted,  and  had  been  at  the  mourn- 
ers' bench  praying  for  pardon,  had  a  wife  who  was 
present,  and  who  remained  unmoved — was  angry 
and  sullen  because  her  husband  had  gone  for- 
ward. 

Sister  Webster  had  done  what  she  could  to  per- 
suade the  woman  to  seek  the  Lord  with  her  hus- 
band, but  she  decidedly  and  angrily  refused. 


292  BECOLLECTIONS. 

Sister  Webster  then  asked  if  she  would  kneel  where 
she  was  and  let  her  pray  for  her.  To  which  she 
indignantly  replied:— 

"No:  I  wont!" 

"Well,"  she  was  asked,  "will  you  not  pray  for 
yourself?"  • 

"No,"  she  answered,  in  the  roughest  kind  of  way, 
"I  don't  know  how  to  pray,  and  don't  want  to!" 

At  the  close  of  the  meeting,  this  family,  the 
father,  mother  and  little  eight-year-old  daughter, 
started  for  home ;  the  father  taking  the  woman  and 
child  up  the  slough  on  the  ice.  They  had  not 
gone  far  when  he  walked  over  a  place,  where  the 
ice  had  been  taken  out  a  day  or  two  before,  and  on 
which  a  thin  crust  had  then  formed  and  a  light 
snow  fallen.  As  soon  as  the  sled  reached  the  thin 
ice,  it  gave  way  and  all  went  through.  The  child 
and  sled  went  out  of  sight;  the  man  and  woman 
caught  by  their  hands  on  the  thick  ice  and  clung 
there.  Their  loud  cries  attracted  the  attention  of 
those  who  were  behind  and  assistance  was  soon  at 
hand,  but  before  help  could  arrive  this  obdurate 
woman  had  learned  how  to  pray;  and  with  an 
earnestness  that  was  heard  by  many  at  a  distance 
promised  the  Lord  that  if  He  would  save  her  life, 
and  send  them  help,  she  would  be  a  Christian. 
They  were  taken  out  and  brought  to  the  nearest 
house.  The  child  was  found  clinging,  though  un- 
conscious, to  her  mother's  skirt.  This  woman  was 
afterwards  soundly  converted  and  united  with  the 
church,  and  remained  steadfast  as  long  as  I  knew 
of  her. 


RECOLLECTIONS.  293 

Another  case  occurred  at  Durand,  which  was 
then  a  small  village  on  the  Chippewa.  Here  we 
had  a  few  members  and  a  fine  stone  school  house, 
which  furnished  the  best  .accommodation  for 
preaching  in  the  valley.  After  having  held  several 
successful  meetings  in  the  adjoining  neighbor- 
hoods, we  thought  to  have  a  meeting  at  Durand. 
As  soon  as  this  was  noised  abroad,  the  devil  took 
the  alarm  and  stirred  up  his  children  to  prevent, 
if  possible,  the  holding  of  a  revival  meeting.  The 
principal  leader  in  this  opposition  was  an  unmar- 
ried man  of  about  thirty-five,  a  Mr.  Foster.  This 
man,  when  he  learned  that  the  meetings  had  been 
appointed,  swore  a  fearful  oath  that  there  should 
be  neither  meeting  nor  revival  there,  if  he  could 
prevent  it.  Accordingly,  he  called  to  his  assist- 
ance a  number  of  his  associates  and  together  they 
circulated  invitations  for  a  grand  ball  for  the 
whole  Chippewa  valley,  to  be  held  at  Durand  and 
at  the  time  of  the  announced  protracted  meeting. 
Bro.  Webster  and  the  brethren  who  were  making 
the  arrangements,  being  made  aware  of  this, 
thought  it  best  that  the  meeting  should  be  re-called 
for  a  time  at  least,  and  see  what  would  come  of  it. 

The  ball  came  off,  as  per  printed  notice;  and  Mr. 
Foster  was  much  elated  over  his  success  in  break- 
ing up  the  meeting.  I  think  it  was  less  than  two 
weeks  afterwards,  when  one  morning,  this  man 
at  breakfast,  at  his  boarding  house  was  observed 
by  his  landlady  to  look  unusually  sad,  and  gloomy ; 
and  she  began  to  inquire  as  to  the  cause.  With 
some  hesitation  of  manner  he  replied  by  asking  if 


294  EECOLLECTIONS. 

she  believed  in  dreams,  and  then  told  her  that  the 
night  before  he  had  dreamed  that  an  angel  came 
to  him  and  said:  "  Within  three  days  your  body  will 
be  burned  to  death,  and  your  soul  will  be  sent  to 
hell!"  On  the  third  morning  after  this  conversa- 
tion, he  did  not  come  as  usual  to  breakfast,  nor 
make  his  appearance.  His  store  in  which  he  slept 
remaining  closed,  was  during  the  day  forcibly 
opened;  and  he  was  found  on  the  floor  burned  to 
death. 

I  came  into  the  village  the  morning  after  he  was 
buried,  and  this  account  of  the  sad  occurrence  I 
had  from  several  who  knew  the  facts. 

Spring,  and  the  consequent  breaking  up  of  the 
river,  was  too  near  at  hand,  to  allow  us  to 
hold  a  meeting  at  that  place  immediately  after 
this.  But  there  was  no  more  organized  opposition. 
And  the  success  of  the  preachers  in  that  town  and 
neighborhood  has  since  been  encouraging. 

The  Trimbelle  charge,  Bro.  S.  N.  Phelps,  pastor, 
was  one  of  the  points  alluded  to,  which  was  so 
specially  blessed  by  revival  influence  and  the  con- 
version of  more  than  a  hundred.  Yet,  so  great 
was  the  pressure  in  money  matters,  and  so  little 
had  as  yet  been  raised  by  the  people  on  the  circuit 
for  their  own  support  that  a  number  of  the  breth- 
ren thought  it  hardly  right  to  have  Bro.  Phelps 
remain,  and  suffer  as  he  must  needs  do,  without 
sufficient  support  from  them.  With  great  reluc- 
tance they  made  the  state  of  the  case  known  to 
their  pastor,  to  whom  they  would  willingly  have 
given  generously  had  it  been  in  their  power. 


RECOLLECTIONS.  295 

Their  solicitude  for  him,  and  their  desire  that  if 
he  could  be  better  cared  for  at  some  other  point  in 
the  church,  he  should  feel  free  to  leave  the  Triin- 
belle  charge,  only  fired  the  heart  of  this  good  man 
with  renewed  courage  and  determination.  He  felt 
that  he  was  in  his  place  and  at  his  work,  and  need 
take  no  anxious  care  for  the  morrow. 

I  do  not  know  whether  there  came  to  his  soul 
then,  the  assurance  that  has  since  that  time  in  so 
many  distresses  cheered  and  comforted  him,  and 
which  I  have  heard  him  utter  when  in  the  deep 
waters  of  trial,  that  "the  Master  makes  no  mis- 
takes." But  I  do  know  that  he  told  those  brethren 
that  he  had  been  appointed  to  that  charge,  and 
on  that  charge  he  should  stay  until  conference,  if 
life  and  health  were  spared;  pay  or  no  pay.  Stay 
he  did,  and  suffer  he  did,  doubtless.  But  the 
Master's  eye  was  on  him,  and  the  brethren  were 
able  to  do  better  than  they  feared.  So  God  some- 
times opens  a  way  in  the  desert.  He  preached 
salvation  to  them  from  a  heart  that  knew  whereof 
he  spoke,  and  many  were  saved  and  remain  to 
witness  to  his  faithfulness. 

Our  conference  met  this  year  at  St.  Anthony  in 
the  spring  of  1859.  Bishop  Baker  presided.  I 
had  frequently  at  our  own  conferences  tried,  as 
best  I  could,  to  set  forth  the  needs  of  this  north- 
west part  of  Wisconsin,  pleading  for  men  and 
money  to  carry  on  the  work.  But  the  presiding 
elders  who  were  the  "missionary  committee,"  were 
so  impressed  with  their  own  necessities  that  I  had 
had  but  poor  success,  and  no  better  this  year. 


296  RECOLLECTIONS. 

And  so  we  all  went  to  work  again  to  do  what  we 
could,  though  sometimes  it  looked  as  if  we  were 
trying  to  "make  bricks  without  straw." 

This  conference  year  was  only  six  months  long, 
the  brethren  having  concluded  that  spring  con- 
ferences were  not  well  suited  to  this  latitude.  Wil- 
low river,  Rev.  Thomas  Harwood,  (now  superin- 
tendent of  our  mission  in  New  Mexico),  and  Pres- 
cott  circuit,  J.  S.  Anderson,  were  greatly  blessed 
during  our  short  year  with  revivals.  The  work 
continued  to  prosper  on  the  Trempeleau  and 
Galesville  charges. 

October,  1859,  conference  met  at  Prescott;  Bishop 
Janes,  presiding.  This  conference  was  remarkable 
for  its  spirit  of  devotion,  and  for  the  manifestation 
of  God's  power  and  mercy  to  both  preachers  and 
people. 

The  bishop  preached  on  Sunday  with  wonderful 
unction,  from  Jno.  I.,  14:  "And  the  Word  was 
made  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us,  (and  we  beheld 
His  glory,  the  glory  as  of  the  only  begotten  of  the 
Father,)  full  of  grace  and  truth." 

His  theme,  divine  and  human  co-operation,  in 
the  world's  salvation.  His  propositions  were: 
God  working — God  working  with  man.  God 
working  with  man  for  man. 

To  describe  the  influence  and  effect  of  that 
sermon  would  be  impossible.  To  tell  how  the 
words  seemed  to  move  and  melt  the  souls  of 
the  great  audience,  and  how  his  lips  seemed  in- 
deed touched,  as  with  living  "fire  from  off  the 
altar,"  as  he  told  us  of  the  boundless  love,  of  the 


KECOLLECTIONS.  297 

infinite  mercy,  and  unmeasured  tenderness  of  God. 
How  he  made  us  to  see  the  honor  and  the  glory 
with  which  he  encircles  those  who  in  the  wonder- 
ful plan  of  redemption  become  co-workers  with 
Christ  in  the  salvation  of  the  human  race.  And 
how  he  took  us  to  the  Celestial  City,  and  led  us 
round  among  the  angelic  hosts,  until  with  them  we 
fell  upon  our  faces  and  worshiped  with  hallelujahs 
to  Him  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever,  and  who  is 
"worthy  to  receive  blessing  and  glory  and  wisdom 
and  thanksgiving  and  power  and  might,"  would 
be  impossible.  But  we  felt  as  though  we  had 
had  a  glimpse  into  the  glory  land,  and  could  join 
the  angelic  host  as  many  of  us  did  in  songs  of 
salvation  and  shouts  of  grateful  praise  to  .  Him 
who  "had  loved  us  and  given  Himself  for  us." 

To  write  this,  to  tell  it,  gives  but  a  faint  idea  of 
its  effect.  It  was  as  if  Heaven  had  come  into  our 
hearts  and  we  had  been  caught  up  to  the  place 
where  the  things  of  earth  are  too  small  to  obscure 
our  vision  of  celestial  and  eternal  realities. 

At  this  conference  B.  F.  Crary,  C.  Hobart,  and 
Cyrus  Brooks  were  elected  delegates  to  represent 
the  Minnesota  conference  in  the  General  con- 
ference to  be  held  at  Buffalo  in  May,  1860. 

On  the  first  round  on  my  district  after  con- 
ference, I  started  off  with  a  horse  and  buggy  to 
visit  that  part  of  the  work  lying  within  and 
south  of  the  Chippewa  valley.  I  crossed  the  Mis- 
sissippi at  Reed's  Landing  and  held  the  quarterly 
meeting  at  Pepin;  then  over  the  hills,  twenty 

miles,  to  Bound  Hill  ferry  on  the  Chippewa;  down 

20 


298  RECOLLECTIONS. 

on  the  south  side  of  the  river  to  Maxwell's  school 
house,  where  I  was  royally  entertained  as  usual, 
at  Bro.  Colman's. 

The  next  day  I  started  for  Trempeleau  circuit, 
some  fifty  miles  down  the  Mississippi  on  the  east 
side.  I  found  a  passable  road  for  thirty  five-miles, 
along  the  bottom  under  the  bluff,  until  I  reached 
Fountain  City.  There  I  climbed  the  bluff,  nearly 
six  hundred  feet  high,  and  was  then  left  to  follow 
my  own  judgment  as  to  the  course,  for  I  could 
find  no  one  who  had  been  through  to  Trempeleau. 
Of  one  thing  I  was  certain,  that  the  point  I  de- 
sired to  make  was  about  twenty-five  miles  a 
little  east  of  south,  and  I  learned  that  a 
few  persons  had  been  through,  so  I  pushed  on, 
taking  such  roads  as  seemed  to  lead  the  nearest  in 
the  right  direction.  I  spent  that  night  at  the 
house  of  a  new  settler  twelve  miles  east  of  Wi- 
nona,  who  with  his  family,  appeared  very  much 
pleased  that  a  preacher  had  found  them.  In  the 
morning  my  host  spoke  very  doubtfully  as  to  the 
probability  of  my  being  able  to  get  through. 
He  had  only  known  of  one  or  two  who  had  come 
from  Trempeleau  that  way,  and  they  had  each 
been  on  horseback.  But  I  could  not  then  afford 
to  turn  back;  so  I  determined  to  try  and  reach  my 
appointment,  at  least  not  to  give  it  up  until  I  was 
obliged  to. 

After  going  about  ten  miles  through  an  oak 
forest,  I  came  to  the  top  of  a  bluff  down  which  a 
wagon  or  buggy  had  never  gone.  I  drove  slowly 
down  the  slope  until  I  reached  the  steepest  part, 


RECOLLECTIONS.  299 

which  was  a  descent  of  more  than  a  hundred  feet, 
at  an  angle  of  about  forty-five  degrees.  Here  I 
stopped;  got  out,  and,  taking  the  lines,  steadied 
the  buggy  as  well  as  I  could,  and  we  began  to  go 
down,  down,  down.  We  had  proceeded  about  twenty 
feet  when  both  horse  and  driver  began  to  slide, 
owing  partly  to  the  thick  bed  of  leaves  which 
slipped  with  our  every  motion.  By  this  time  the 
horse  was  almost  sitting  on  his  haunches,  and  I 
did  not  dare  to  let  go  the  lines.  So  we  went  down 
together,  much  more  rapidly  than  we  desired,  yet 
as  slowly  as  we  could;  and  reached  the  bottom,  al- 
most miraculously,  in  safety.  Thankful  for  this 
merciful  deliverance  from  what  might  have  been  a 
serious  accident,  I  drove  on  and  soon  came  to  a 
trail  leading  me  up  the  Trempeleau  river,  to  the 
village  of  Old  Dandy.  (Dandy  was  chief  of  the 
last  band  of  the  Winnebagoes  that  left  Wiscon- 
sin. )  Here  I  found  a  ford,  which  was  only  a  trail, 
across  the  Trempeleau.  With  a  good  deal  of  care  I 
managed  to  get  down  the  steep  four-foot  bank,  and 
with  still  more  care,  succeeded  in  keeping  the 
wheels  of  the  buggy  level  while  going  over,  and 
came  out  all  right.  Two  hours  after,  I  reached  the 
settlement  where  our  quarterly  meeting  was  to  be 
held,  and  surprised  everybody,  when  I  told  them 
that  I  had  driven  a  buggy  through  from  Fountain 
City. 

We  had  a  good  meeting,  and  on  Tuesday,  I 
started  for  Arcadia,  twenty  miles  up  the  Trempe- 
leau, in  a  northeasterly  direction,  over  a  rough 
mountainous  road.  I  reached  the  place  safely; 


300  RECOLLECTIONS. 

rested  over  night  and  on  the  next  day,  thirty  miles 
further  on,  made  the  point  at  which  the  quarterly 
meeting  for  the  Arcadia  charge  was  held.  Here 
we  had  a  blessed  time,  and  the  rain  of  salvation 
came  down  upon  our  hearts,  as  "rain  upon  the 
mown  grass." 

My  next  appointment  was  at  Mondovia.  I 
drove  on  twenty  miles  up  the  Trempeleau;  then 
twenty-five  miles  along  the  old  Black  river  trail 
to  the  head  of  Beef  river;  then  down  that  stream 
about  thirty  miles,  to  Mondovia.  At  this  point  we 
had  a  warm  hearted  society,  the  fruit  of  a  revival 
held  by  Bro.  Webster,  and  others,  the  winter  be- 
fore. Our  meeting  was  a  very  encouraging  one, 
and  greatly  helped  the  membership. 

My  next  appointment  was  on  the  Bear  creek 
charge  and  led  me  through  that  beautiful  and  re- 
markable formation,  known  as  Bear  Valley.  This 
valley  lies  between  the  Beef  and  Chippewa  rivers 
and  is  about  twenty  miles  long.  Half  way  be- 
tween these  two  rivers,  in  the  middle  of  the  valley, 
is  a  tamarack  swamp;  out  of  it  runs  a  creek  each 
way,  one  into  the  Beef  and  the  other  into  the  Chip- 
pewa. Our  quarterly  meeting  was  held  here  and 
as  this  was  the  last  one  to  be  held  on  that  round, 
I  blessed  the  Lord  for  the  way  in  which  He 
had  led  me,  took  courage,  and  set  my  face  toward 
home.  Reached  it  safely,  having  been  absent 
about  four  weeks,  and  having  traveled  about  four 
hundred  miles;  and  though  weary,  I  was  thankful 
for  the  privilege  of  laboring  for  the  Master  in  a 


RECOLLECTIONS.  301 

field  so  rough  and  hard  that  few  would  be  willing 
to  cultivate  it. 

The  winter  of  1859-60,  although  cold,  was  not  so 
severe  as  the  proceeding  two  had  been,  and  I  was 
able  to  meet  all  my  appointments.  This  winter  a 
new  charge  was  formed  on  the  Chippewa  river, 
above  Eau  Claire,  with  Chippewa  City  as  its  center. 
This  included  Bloomer  Prairie,  Duncan's  Creek, 
and  one  or  two  other  places;  Rev.  Thomas  Har- 
wood,  preacher.  Here  several  classes  were  formed 
and  a  good  work  begun. 

Having  held  the  quarterly  meeting  at  Pepin, 
I  remained  until  Wednesday,  assisting  in  a 
revival  of  great  power.  While  there,  the 
weather  had  turned  very  cold  and  I  had  wrapped 
up  as  closely  as  I  could,  only  leaving  enough  of 
my  face  uncovered  to  see  my  horse.  I  had  a  ride 
of  twenty^-eight  miles,  and  when  I  reached  home, 
found  that  a  narrow  angling  strip  across  my  face 
was  frozen.  It  turned  brown  and  then  peeled  off; 
was  somewhat  painful  and  caused  no  small  amuse- 
ment to  my  friends,  from  the  odd  appearance  it 
gave  me. 

About  the  25th  of  April,  I  took  the  steamboat 
for  Galena,  on  my  way  to  Buffalo.  Had  a  delight- 
ful visit  in  Chicago  with  my  friend,  Wm.  Wheeler, 
then  of  Trinity  church.  While  there,  Bro. 
Wheeler  received  a  letter  from  his  time-honored 
friend,  Bro.  Jackson,  of  Hamilton,  Canada,  asking 
him  to  try  and  secure  three  of  the  delegates  to  the 
General  conference,  to  remain  in  Hamilton  over 
Sunday  and  occupy  its  three  Methodist  churches. 


302  RECOLLECTIONS. 

At  Bro.  Wheeler's  request  I  consented  to  be  one 
of  the  three,  and  assisted  him  in  securing,  as  the 
others,  Dr.  B.  F.  Crary  and  Eev.  Richard  Har- 
grave,  of  Indiana. 

Taking  the  Michigan  Central  railroad  we  were 
met  at  the  depot  by  Bro.  Jackson,  and  were  most 
elegantly  entertained  at  his  home;  and  we  did 
what  we  could  for  the  good  people  of  Hamilton,  in 
the  way  of  preaching. 

Monday  morning  we  took  the  cars  and  soon  found 
ourselves  in  the  fine  city  of  Buffalo.  I  was  the 
guest  of  Captain  May  while  in  the  city;  and  had 
for  my  room-mate,  Rev.  Jacokes,  of  Michigan.  Our 
host  was  both  jolly  and  companionable;  enjoying 
a  joke  as  well,  I  think,  as  any  sailor  who  ever  trod 
the  quarter-deck. 

After  organization  I  was  put  on  the  committee 
on  boundaries,  and  on  a  large  judicial  committee 
of  one  from  each  delegation,  to  hear  and  determine 
the  complaints,  brought  against  the  administration 
of  Bishop  Ames,  by  Rev.  Seth  Mattson;  also  to 
hear  and  determine  the  appeals  of  Revs.  Roberts, 
McCartney  and  others,  from  the  decisions  of  the 
Gennesse  conference,  which  finally  resulted  in  the 
formation  of  the  Free  Methodist  church;  also  to 
take  action  in  regard  to  an  Episcopal  decision  of 
Bishop  Simpson,  which  virtually  allowed  the 
preachers  in  charges  to  exclude  members  from  the 
church,  without  trial.  The  final  action  of  the 
judicial  committee,  and  of  the  General  conference, 
on  these  cases,  was  the  reversal  of  Bishop  Simp- 
son's Episcopal  decisions;  the  confirmation  of  the 


RECOLLECTIONS.  303 

action  of  the  Gennesse  conference;  and  the  acquit- 
tal of  .Bishop  Ames. 

But  the  absorbing  theme  of  interest  and  discus- 
sion was  slavery,  as  it  existed  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  This,  as  a  subject  of  thought, 
dominated  everything  else.  A  large  committee 
was  appointed,  of  which  Calvin  Kingsley  was 
chairman.  To  this  committee  were  referred  all 
petitions  on  that  question.  We  were  not  long  in 
ascertaining  that  while  a  majority  of  the  confer- 
ence was  in  favor  of  making  slaveholding  a  test  of 
membership,  yet,  as  in  the  conference  of  1856,  we 
had  not  a  two-thirds  majority;  consequently  we 
could  not  alter  the  Kestrictive  Eule,  permitting 
members  to  hold  slaves  in  states  where  the  laws 
would  not  tolerate  emancipation.  The  best  thing, 
and  all  that  we  of  the  anti-slavery  majority  could 
do,  was  again  to  see  that  our  editors  and  the 
bishops,  to  be  elected,  were  of  pronounced  and  ad- 
vanced views  on  the  iniquity  of  American  slavery. 
When  the  report  of  the  committee  on  slavery  was 
brought  in,  full  time  was  given  for  its  discussion. 

Dr.  James  Floy,  of  New  York,  and  C.  Kingsley, 
of  Erie  or  Pittsburgh,  led.  Many  others  followed, 
who  were  in  favor  of  the  adoption  of  the  report 
which  denounced  slavery  as  "the  sum  of  all  vil- 
lanies;"  and  stated  that  the  intention  of  the  M.  E. 
church  was  to  free  herself  from  it.  Norval  Wil- 
son and  Henry  Slicer,  of  Baltimore,  and  Peter 
Cartwright,  of  Illinois,  with  several  who  spoke 
after  them,  opposed  the  report.  Wilson  of  Balti- 
more, told  us,  "that  if  that  report  should  be  adopted, 


304  RECOLLECTIONS. 

the  part  of  the  Baltimore  conference  which  he 
represented,  lying  in  the  State  of  Virginia,  would 
be  compelled  to  leave  the  Methodist  church,  and 
join  the  church  south."  But  the  report  was 
adopted,  nevertheless,  and  by  a  very  decided  ma- 
jority. When  we  came  to  the  election  of  editors, 
the  same  difficulty,  in  character,  had  to  be  en- 
countered and  overcome. 

Four  years  before,  Dr.  Abel  Stevens  had  been 
taken  from  the  editorship  of  "Zion's  Herald,"  and 
placed  in  charge  of  "The  Christian  Advocate  and 
Journal."  This  had  been  done  on  account  of  his 
well-known  and  frequently  expressed  anti-slavery 
principles.  But  strangely  enough,  a  four  years' 
residence  in  the  city  of  New  York  and  among  its 
conservative  influences,  had  so  changed  'his  views 
on  the  question  of  slavery  that  he  was  no  longer  a 
fit  representative  of  the  ideas  of  the  advanced 
thinkers,  nor  indeed  of  the  majority  of  the  church, 
on  this  vital  question.  Hence,  his  removal  was 
determined  upon.  A  telegram  sent  from  the  seat  of 
the  General  conference,  brought  a  delegation  of 
some  thirty  Methodists  from  New  York,  headed  by 
the  venerable  Dr.  Nathan  Bangs,  whose  business 
was  to  say  to  the  committee  and  to  the  conference, 
that  as  it  was  the  local  paper  of  that  state,  New 
York  claimed  the  right  to  say  who  should  edit  "The 
Christian  Advocate  and  Journal."  They  stated 
further,  that  they  desired  Dr.  Abel  Stevens  as 
editor;  and  if  he  were  not  elected,  that  they  could 
and  would  raise  thirty  thousand  dollars  at  once  and 
start  another  church  paper,  which  would  crov^d  out 


RECOLLECTIONS.  305 

"The  Christian  Advocate  and  Journal,"  and  kill  it. 
Notwithstanding  these  strong  words,  Dr.  E. 
Thompson  was  elected  editor  of  "The  Christian 
Advocate;"  but,  according  to  their  threat,  the  New 
York  Methodists  went  home  and  raised  the  thirty 
thousand  dollars  and  started  the  "Methodist." 
But  it  did  not  kill  off  "The  Christian  Advocate," 
which  still  lives  and  prospers  grandly. 

It  was  at  this  conference  that  the  subject  of  lay 
delegation  came  up  for  action.  This  was  strongly 
urged  by  Dr.  Durbin,  Bishop  Simpson  and  others  of 
influence.  But  as  the  petitions  from  the  churches 
stood  ninety  for  and  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
against  (as  I  recollect),  there  was  no  change  made. 
On  this  subject  the  action  of  the  conference  was 
kind  and  conciliatory. 

Bro.  Norval  Wilson  had  brought  with  him  to 
conference,  from  Virginia,  a  servant,  legally  a 
slave,  but  practically  a  free  man,  known  as  "Uncle 
Tom,"  a  local  preacher.  I  greatly  desired  that 
this  man  should  have  an  opportunity  to  speak, 
and  for  this  purpose  requested  the  committee  on 
public  worship  to  appoint  "Uncle  Tom"  to  preach 
at  the  colored  church,  on  the  next  Sabbath.  This 
was  so  arranged,  and  on  Sabbath  morning  several 
of  the  delegates  with  myself  enjoyed  hearing  him. 
At  the  close  of  the  sermon,  a  brother,  the  pastor  of 
the  church,  came  to  me  and  requested  that  I  would 
preach  for  them  at  3  p.  M.  I  consented  and  the 
announcement  was  made  accordingly.  But  in  the 
afternoon  I  had  scarcely  been  seated  in  the  pulpit, 
before,  to  my  surprise,  I  saw  Captain  May  (my 


306  RECOLLECTIONS. 

host)  and  his  family,  and  about  a  dozen  or  more 
of  the  delegates  with  several  whites,  come  in. 

I  took  for  my  text:  "For  I  know  that  my  Re- 
deemer liveth,"  (Job  XIX.,  24-27.)  and  did  the  best 
I  could.  Toward  the  conclusion  of  the  sermon  and 
while  speaking  of  the  Christian's  hope,  and  of  the 
prospect  of  reunion  with  the  loved  beyond  the 
grave,  quite  a  number  of  the  elderly  colored  sisters 
began  to  shout.  In  a  moment  more  they  were  out 
of  their  seats,  and  up  and  down  the  aisles 
they  went,  clapping  their  hands  and  shouting, 
"Glory!  Glory!"  This  did  not  trouble  me  at 
all.  It  seemed  like  good  old  western  style,  such 
as  I  had  seen  and  heard  hundreds  of  times.  But 
it  greatly  interested  and  amused  Captain  May. 
He  thought  he  had  a  good  joke  on  me,  and  in- 
sisted as  long  as  I  remained,  that  I  must  be  a  Free 
Methodist  in  disguise.  He  took  occasion  to  tell 
the  friends  who  visited  the  house,  over  and  over 
again,  with  much  enjoyment,  about  my  preaching 
for  the  colored  people,  and  setting  them  all  to 
shouting.  So  the  joy  of  the  good  old  colored 
sisters  became  the  source  of  many  pleasantries 
from  him,  at  my  expense. 

At  this  conference  I  heard  Bishop  Morris  preach 
the  funeral  sermon  of  Bishop  Waugh.  This  he 
did  in  his  own  clear-cut  style,  with  scarcely  a 
redundant  word  or  phrase.  In  speaking  of  the 
toils  and  responsibilities  of  a  Methodist  bishop,  he 
observed  in  his  quiet,  humorous  way,  "That  how- 
ever great  they  were,  there  were  still  several  good 
men  and  brethren  to  be  found  in  the  church,  who 


KECOLLECTIONS.  307 

were  willing  to  endure  even  this  heavy  burden." 
This  elicited  a  responsive  smile;  which  so  dis- 
turbed a  good  brother  from  Maine,  a  spiritual  dys- 
peptic, who  sat  by  my  side,  that  he  exclaimed  in  a 
loud  whisper,  "Oh!  oh!  that's  too  bad!  too  bad!" 

When  the  report  of  the  committee  on  Sunday 
schools  was  under  discussion,  about  the  close  of 
the  session,  after  editors  and  agents  had  been 
elected  and  the  business  nearly  concluded,  Bro. 
Biglow,  fearing  that  a  certain  motion  to  which  he 
was  opposed  would  pass,  moved  a  call  of  the  house. 
This  was  ordered,  and  when  made,  showed  that 
there  was  not  a  quorum  present.  This  annoyed 
Bishop  Janes  so  much  that  he  expressed  his  dis- 
pleasure quite  decidedly.  Some  one  remarked  that 
there  were,  no  doubt,  a  majority  of  the  members  in 
the  city.  "They  might  as  well  be  in  France!" 
replied  the  bishop.  "Nothing  more  can  be  done." 
And  nothing  more  was  done,  except  the  reading  of 
the  journal  and  adjournment  The  fact  was  that 
those  who  lived  only  a  few  hours  ride'  distant,  had 
taken  the  cars  for  home;  but,  so  far  as  I  know, 
every  western  man  was  in  his  place. 

After  the  adjournment  the  Minnesota  delegation 
returned  home  together,  via  Niagara,  Detroit, 
Grand  Haven,  Milwaukee  and  La  Crosse.  Finding 
all  well,  I  rested  one  day  at  home  and  then  took 
the  road  for  my  district.  • 

During  a  camp-meeting,  held  that  summer  near 
the  mouth  of  Bear  creek  on  the  Chippewa,  some 
effort  was  found  necessary  to  maintain  good 
order.  About  thirty  had  been  converted,  and 


308  RECOLLECTIONS. 

the  meeting  was  progressing.  On  Saturday 
morning,  while  at  breakfast,  eight  men  from 
the  pineries  came,  bringing  a  cloth  tent,  which 
they  put  up  directly  in  front  of  the  "stand," 
and  not  more  than  thirty  feet  from  it;  and  then 
two  of  them  immediately  began  a  game  of  cards 
therein.  As  soon  as  I  came  to  the  "stand"  and 
saw  what  had  been  done  and  what  they  were  doing, 
I  went  to  them,  and  remembering  that  "a  soft 
answer  turneth  away  wrath,"  told  them  kindly 
what  the  order  of  our  meeting  was,  and  that  all 
inside  the  circle  of  the  tents  was  our  church;  that 
I  believed  there  was  not  a  lumberman  in  all  the 
pineries,  who  was  not  too  manly  and  too  honorable 
to  think  of  disturbing  a  religious  meeting.  I  told 
them  also  that  many  of  their  fathers  and  mothers 
and  sisters  were  good  Methodists;  that  we  were 
very  willing  that  they  should  put  up  their  tent  in 
a  proper  place  and  stay  with  us  and  enjoy  the 
meetings,  etc.  To  all  that  I  said  they  quietly 
assented;  removed  their  tent,  and  all  trouble  and 
disturbance  from  that  source  ended  from  that  time. 

The  Monday  preceding  the  meeting  of  the 
Northwest  Wisconsin  conference,  it  was  arranged 
that  Bishop  Scott  should  join  us  at  Trempeleau, 
where  I  had  just  held  a  quarterly  meeting.  On 
Tuesday  about  eight  of  us,  in  company  with  the 
bishop,  drove  to  Sparta.  We  had  a  rough  ride  of 
forty  miles  but  came  through  all  safely. 

During  our  ride  and  while  talking  over  the  work 
of  the  district  and  of  the  conference,  I  remarked 
to  the  bishop,  in  reference  to  the  changes  of  con- 


EECOLLECTION8.  309 

ferences  which  I  had  been  called  to  make,  that  "I 
would  prefer  now  to  remain  in  the  Minnesota  con- 
ference," and  hoped  that  I  should  not  have  to 
change  again.  To  this  the  bishop  quietly  said: 
"Well,  Bro.  Hobart,  you  will  hav  3  to  change,  once 
more.  You  must  go  into  the  new  Northwest  Wis- 
consin conference.  You  are  needed  there.  This 
work  which  you  are  on  now  goes  into  that,  and  you 
cannot  be  spared  from  it." 

This  new  conference  had  been  made  by  the 
action  of  the  late  General  conference  at  Buffalo. 
Numerous  petitions  had  been  sent  to  that  body,  ask- 
ing that  a  new  conference  should  be  formed  from 
the  territory  included  in  the  Prescott  district,  Min- 
nesota conference  ^  and  the  La  Crosse  district,  West 
Wisconsin  conference,  and  extend  north  so  as  to 
include  Ashland,  Bayfield  and  Superior  City,  on 
Lake  Superior.  This  movement  originated  with 
Judge  Gale  who  had  contributed  liberally  to  the 
establishment  of  a  university  at  Galesville,  to  be 
under  the  control  and  patronage  of  the  M.  E.  church. 
His  reason  was  that  as  the  Minnesota  conference 
was  pledged  to  Hamline  university,  and  the  Wis- 
consin conferences  to  Lawrence  university,  the 
Galesville  university  would  stand  a  better  chance 
of  support  if  it  could  have  around  it  a  conference 
interested  in  its  welfare. 

My  acquaintance  with  Judge  Gale  commenced 
in  1847,  when  I  was  on  the  Racine  district.  We 
were  both  from  Vermont;  and  not  far  from  the 
same  age.  He  was  a  promising  young  lawyer, 
well  read  in  his  profession;  a  graduate  of  the 


310  RECOLLECTIONS. 

university  at  Burlington,  Vermont  and  noted  for 
his  candor,  ability,  and  moral  integrity.  In  1850, 
we  met  again  near  La  Crosse,  where  he  had  opened 
an  office.  Here  I  had  the  pleasure  of  mentioning 
him  as  a  suitable  man  for  circuit  judge  and  re- 
joiced when  he  was  elected.  This  office  he  filled 
with  credit  to  himself  and  satisfactorily  to  his 
friends  He  was  an  energetic,  active,  public  spirit- 
ed man ;  and  lived  and  died  a  member  of  the  M.  E. 
church.  And  our  friendship  was  warm  and  sin- 
cere. 

It  was  also  thought  that  as  the  territory  includ- 
ed in  these  two  districts  was  so  extensive,  and 
necessarily  separated  in  interest,  somewhat,  from 
the  respective  conference  to  which  they  had  be- 
longed and  needed  great  care  and  labor  for 
their  development,  their  formation  into  a  con- 
ference, would  give  them  an  increased  supply  of 
men  and  money. 

Being  a  member  of  the  committee  on  boun- 
daries in  the  General  conference,  I  had  there  stated 
all  these  facts;  and  had  used  what  influence  I 
could  to  have  this  conference  formed.  This  I  did 
because  I  knew  so  well  the  needs  of  the  work 
which  I  there  represented;  being  at  the  time  a 
member  of  the  Minnesota  conference  and  desirous 
to  remain  identified  with  it. 

During  the  following  winter,  the  weather  was 
such  that  I  could  only  reach  my  appointments  by 
traveling  on  horseback.  In  February,  beginning 
at  the  lower  end  of  the  district,  I  held  my  quarter- 
ly meetings  for  Trempeleau  and  Galesville;  then 


RECOLLECTIONS.  311 

on  to  the  head  of  Beef  river,  striking  the  Chip- 
pewa  a.  little  below  Eau  Claire.  I  held  a  quarterly 
meeting  at  Fall  Creek;  and  on  Monday  morning 
started  for  North  Pepin.  But  on  reaching  the 
Chippewa,  at  the  mouth  of  Bear  creek,  I  found  the 
river  had  risen  so  as  to  leave  the  open  water  one 
hundred  feet  from  the  shore  on  each  side,  while 
the  ice  was  very  solid  in  the  middle.  To  get 
across  with  my  horse  was  impossible.  So  I  re- 
mained and  held  the  quarterly  meeting  for  the 
charge  at  this  point,  although  it  was  two  weeks 
earlier  than  they  had  expected  it,  hoping  that  by 
the  following  Monday  the  river  would  be  so  that  I 
could  cross  either  on  the  ice  or  by  ferry.  But 
there  was  no  change  by  Monday  morning.  It  was 
still  impossible  to  cross.  Yet  I  felt  that  some- 
thing ought  to  be  done.  Obtaining  the  assistance 
of  four  men  we  went  to  work  to  saw  the  river  in  two 
— for  in  someway,  1  must  cross  that  river,  and  be  at 
my  work.  We  sawed  and  hewed  and  shoved  and 
floated  the  loosened  ice,  for  three  days  and  a  half, 
and  by  Thursday  noon  had  succeeded  in  opening 
a  passage  for  the  ferry  boat,  on  which  with  my 
horse  I  crossed,  and,  riding  twenty-five  miles, 
reached  Pepin. 

This  feat  of  sawing  the  Chippewa  river  in  two, 
was  not  only  a  difficult  but  a  dangerous  undertak- 
ing. Could  we  have  been  furnished  with  ice  saws 
or  with  any  suitable  instruments  or  tools,  our 
work,  though  still  difficult,  would  have  been  easier. 
But  to  open  a  clear  passage  through  solid  ice,  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  across  and  about  two  feet  thick, 


312  RECOLLECTIONS. 

with  an  old  cross  cut  saw,  a  crow  bar  and  some 
axes,  and  at  the  same  time  in  momentary  dread  of 
the  cracking  of  the  ice  above,  and  its  closing  on 
us,  was  then  and  as  I  recall  it  now,  quite  romantic 
enough  to  be  worth  the  telling,  and  remembering 
for  some  time.  From  Pepin,  after  a  hard  ride  of 
fifty  miles  over  the  hills,  and  the  greater  part  of 
the  way  without  a  road,  heading  around  to  cross 
the  streams,  I  reached  Prescott  within  one  minute 
of  the  time  for  my  next  quarterly  meeting.  There 
were  already  quite  a  number  in  the  church  and 
others  were  gathering  and  about  to  enter,  as  I  rode 
up  to  the  door. 

All  through  the  following  summer,  political 
agitation  and  the  threats  of  national  dis- 
ruption hung  like  a  dark  cloud  over  the  land. 
Stephen  A.  Douglas  had  undertaken  to  ride  into 
the  presidential  chair  on  his  hobby  of  squatter 
sovereignty.  The  North  had  determined  on  no 
more  slave  territory;  while  the  South  demanded, 
as  their  right,  to  take  their  slaves  anywhere  in  the 
United  States  just  as  freely  as  they  might  take 
their  horses  or  their  dogs.  And  to  add  to  the 
complications  and  excitement — three  different 
presidential  candidates  made  party  spirit  intole- 
rant and  rampant.  But  after  a  hotly  contested 
political  campaign,  Abraham  Lincoln  was  elected; 
and  the  South  foresaw  that  unless  something  des- 
perate and  daring  was  speedily  effected  by  them, 
the  sentiment  of  the  North  and  West  would  over- 
throw their  cherished  prestige  and  institutions. 
And  not  long  after,  the  first  gun  was  fired  on  Fort 


RECOLLECTIONS.  313 

Sumpter,  from  a  Rebel  battery,  and  war  was  in- 
evitable. Unfortunately,  the  occupant  of  the 
executive  chair  had  weakly  permitted  the  Treasury 
to  be  depleted  in  the  interest  of  the  South.  The 
army  was  scattered,  and  the  navy  had  been  mostly 
sent  to  foreign  ports,  through  the  same  influence. 
Congressmen  and  senators  from  the  southern 
states  had  been  with  one  hand  drawing  their  pay 
as  the  maintainers  of  the  Constitution,  and  with 
the  other  had  been  doing  all  that  they  knew  how 
to  do,  to  weaken  and  destroy  the  power  of  the 
Government. 

September,  1861,  our  small  but  spirited  con- 
ference met  at  Galesville ;  Bishop  Baker,  presiding. 
And  it  was,  after  much  careful  planning,  divided 
into  three  districts:  La  Crosse,.T.  E.  Golden,  pre- 
siding elder;  Chippewa,  C.  Hobart;  and  Prescott, 
Win.  Hamilton. 

I  had  completed  the  first  round  on  my  district 
and  was  just  ready  to  set  out  on  my  second,  when 
I  received  a  telegram  informing  me  that  I  had 
been  elected  chaplain  of  the  Third  Minnesota  re- 
giment, and  must  be  ready  to  join  it  at  Red  Wing, 
on  its  way  to  Louisville,  Kentucky,  in  twenty-four 
hours. 

Unexpected  as  was  this  summons,  the  duty  of 
the  hour  seemed  very  plain.  I  wrote  to  all  my 
preachers,  also  to  Bishop  Baker,  and  to  Rev.  James 
Gurley,  and  requested  the  latter  to  superintend 
the  work  for  me,  until  some  arrangement  should 
be  made  for  the  district  by  the  bishop.  And  then 

needful  preparations  were  soon  made.     My  joining 
21 


314  RECOLLECTIONS. 

the  army  was  regarded  by  my  wife  and  myself 
more  especially  as  duty  at  that  time,  because  our 
eldest  son  Joseph,  only  eighteen,  was  already  en- 
listed as  a  volunteer  and  belonged  to  Captain 
Shelley's  company  of  the  Fifth  Iowa  cavalry,  and 
we  hoped  that  I  might  be  near  enough  to  him  to 
have  some  guardians-hip  over  him. 

About  sundown  on  the  evening  designated,  with 
Company  E.,  Captain  Gurney,  we  took  the  boat; 
and  amid  cheers  and  tears,  hurrahs  and  sighs,  and 
the  hopes  and  fears  of  the  loving  hearts  who  came 
to  say  farewell  to  us,  we  made  for  the  seat  of  war. 
Beaching  Louisville,  we  found  General  Buell  in 
command;  forming  the  arrivals  as  rapidly  as  pos- 
sible into  brigades  and  divisions,  while  the  larger 
part  of  the  army  bad  been  sent  forward  to  dif- 
ferent points  on  the  railroad  towards  Nashville. 

We  had  been  in  camp  about  a  week,  when  we 
were  ordered  to  guard  the  railroad,  leading  to 
Nashville,  from  Shephardsville  on  Salt  river,  to 
Elizabethtown,  a  distance  of  about  sixty  miles. 
Head-quarters  for  our  regiment  were  established 
at  Belmont  Furnace,  five  miles  from  Salt  river, 
christened  by  Colonel  Lester,  "Camp  Dana,"  and 
we  occupied  positions  along  the  road. 

Here  we  spent  the  winter  of  1861-2,  keeping  up 
regular  drill  and  camp  duties  with  five  companies 
in  camp,  while  the  other  five  were  guarding  the 
road,  these  companies  alternating  each  week.  As 
Kentucky  winters  are  made  up  of  raining,  driz- 
zling, freezing,  snowing,  sleeting  and  thawing, 
with  a  mixture  of  mud  and  sunshine,  we  went 


RECOLLECTIONS.  315 

through  with  what  is  known  as  the  "seasoning 
process,"  and  the  feeble  ones  were  soon  in  the 
hospital  or  discharged.  However,  our  regiment 
fared  much  better  than  many  others,  which  spent 
that  winter  in  Kentucky,  haying  about  twenty 
small  frame  houses  which  were  utilized  as  bar- 
racks, and  a  church  which  was  converted  into  a 
hospital. 

The  measles  broke  out  largely  in  the  army  that 
winter.  We  had  one  hundred  and  ninety  cases 
of  which  we  lost  but  six,  while  many  other  regi- 
ments buried  from  fifty  to  a  hundred  and  fifty. 
In  caring  for  the  sick,  going  back  and  forth  to 
Louisville  for  such  supplies  as  they  required  for 
nourishment,  preaching  on  the  Sabbath,  holding 
prayer  meetings  Thursday  evenings,  and  burying 
the  dead — I  was  kept  busily  employed.  We  also 
had  daily  prayer  at  dress  parade;  and  I  wish  to 
say  that  at  each  of  the  graves  of  the  boys  whom  I 
buried,  I  erected  a  head  board,  which  I  made  my- 
self, of  white  oak;  charring  the. end  driven  into 
the  ground,  and  placing  in  the  center  the  name, 
age,  regiment,  and  company  of  the  deceased. 

December  24,  I  was  called  on  by  a  Mr.  Leslie 
of  Lebanon  Junction,  a  staunch  Union  man,  to  per- 
form the  marriage  ceremony  for  his  daughter,  Miss 
Catherine  A.  to  Mr.  J.  R.  Hale.  Miss  Catherine 
having  declared,  that  no  "Secesh  minister"  should 
ever  marry  her!  And  to  make  the  matter  sure, 
she  had  persuaded  her  father  to  come  over  to  the 
Union  camp  and  see  if  the  chaplain  would  come 
and  marry  them.  To  this  I  had  not  the  least  ob- 


316  RECOLLECTIONS. 

jection,  was  on  hand  at  the  appointed  time,  and  in 
the  presence  of  a  large  company,  united,  as  securely 
as  the  Ritual  would  permit,  the  happy  couple.  I 
was  hospitably  entertained  over  night,  and  re- 
turned safely  to  camp  the  next  morning;  although 
I  was  not  unaware  that  I  was  in  danger,  at  any 
moment,  of  being  made  a  target  for  a  Rebel  bullet. 

In  January,  1862,  in  company  with  several  of 
the  officers,  I  was  invited  to  dine  at  the  home  of 
Mr.  Patterson,  principal  owner  of  Belmont 
Furnace.  This  gentleman  claimed  to  be  a  strong 
Union  man  although  a  wealthy  slaveholder. 
After  an  elegantly  served  dinner,  I  baptized  the 
youngest  child,  a  babe  of  five  months. 

I  usually  stayed,  when  in  Louisville,  by  urgent 
invitation,  with  Rev.  Wm.  Holman  and  lady,  where 
I  received  a  brotherly  welcome.  Soon  after  our 
first  meeting,  we  found  that  we  had  many  mutual 
acquaintances  and  when  Bro.  Holman  learned  that 
Revs.  Peter  Cartwright  and  Peter  Akers  were  old 
and  dear  friends  of  mine,  he  took  me  to  his  heart 
as  a  brother  to  be  trusted  in.  Our  intercourse 
during  those  turbulent  times  is  a  pleasant  mem- 
ory. 

I  was  in  Louisville  on  February  16th,  when 
news  of  the  capture  of  Fort  Donaldson  was  re- 
ceived; and  was  the  first  to  bring  in  the  report  of 
it  to  our  camp.  While  walking,  that  morning  in 
the  city,  a  lady  came  toward  me  from  the  opposite 
side  of  the  street.  As  she  approached  she  ex- 
claimed aloud,  with  flashing  eyes  and  indignant 
manner,  "It  isn't  true!  I  don't  believe  a  word  of 


RECOLLECTIONS.  317 

it!  I  won't  believe  it!  It  hasn't  been  captured  I" 
To  which  I  could  not  resist  the  impulse  of  saying, 
as  we  came  face  to  face,  "//  is  true,  madam,  every 
word,  as  you  will  find!"  To  say  that  she  looked 
"daggers"  at  me  is,  altogether,  too  mild  a  way  of 
putting  it.  She  looked  as  if  she  would  have 
enjoyed  annihilating  me. 

It  was  soon  after  this  that  one  of  our  soldiers  be- 
came earnestly  and  seriously  anxious  about  his 
soul's  salvation.  He  came  and  stated  his  case  to 
me  and  his  difficult  point  was,  whether  he  could 
be  converted  while  in  the  army.  After  explaining 
to  him  that  if  the  cause  for  which  a  man  was  fight- 
ing were  a  just  one,  and  he  were  there  faithfully 
doing  his  duty,  that  a  soldier  was  as  near  right  in 
the  army  as  he  would  be  anywhere.  I  told  him  also 
that  if  he  would  then  and  there  surrender  himself 
unconditionally  to  Christ,  to  be  an  obedient  cross 
bearing  Christian  forever,  whether  in  the  army  or 
at  home,  he  would  find  that  Christ  would  accept 
him  in  the  pardon  of  his  sins,  right  there.  Encour- 
aged, he  knelt  down  and  commenced  praying.  The 
next  day  we  prayed  again  together;  and  before  he 
rose  the  blessing  came,  and  he  rejoiced  with  great 
joy  in  the  consciousness  of  sins  forgiven. 

I  received  many  boxes  of  goods,  provisions, 
money,  blankets  and  clothing.  Some  of  these  were 
sent  by  friends,  others  were  obtained  from  the 
supplies  at  Louisville.  These  boxes  I  distributed 
according  to  the  doctors'  directions  and  the  needs 
of  the  men. 

I  also  sent  to  Cincinnati  and  obtained  several 


318  RECOLLECTIONS. 

hymnals  with  music.  These  the  boys  greatly  en- 
joyed, and  after  that  we  had  rousing  singing  at 
our  prayer  meetings,  and  many  a  song  from  the 
boys  at  other  times. 

About  the  llth  of  March,  the  sick  of  several 
regiments  were  sent  to  Belmont  as  a  general  hos- 
pital. And  soon  after  we  were  relieved  by  the 
Eleventh  Michigan  and  ordered  to  Louisville,  pre- 
paratory to  embarking  for  Nashville.  By  the  19th 
we  were  on  board,  passed  Fort  Donaldson  on  the 
22d  and  reached  Nashville  on  the  23d. 

We  were  now  ready  for  the  field,  with  Gen- 
eral Buell,  and  all  hoped  to  be  ordered  to  the  front. 
But  much  to  our  disappointment  we  were  ordered 
to  stay  at  Nashville  and  guard  the  road,  the  depots, 
the  magazines,  and  the  stores  which  had  accumu- 
lated there.  Our  camp  was  about  two  miles  out  of 
the  city,  and  most  of  the  men  were  kept  constantly 
on  duty. 

It  was  amusing,  while  here,  to  watch  the  social 
condition  of  things  around  us.  The  old  men,  the 
women,  children  and  darkies,  were  about;  but  all 
the  middle-aged  and  young  men  were  with  John- 
son and  Beauregaurd.  The  ladies  were  spiteful; 
the  old  men,  sullen;  the  darkies,  delighted — they 
scarcely  knew  why.  They  had  the  impression, 
however,  that  in  some  way  they  were  to  be  the 
gainers  in  the  conflict. 

The  boys  of  Rebel  families,  who  came,  frequently, 
to  the  camp,  were  generally  talkative  and  boastful. 
In  reply  to  some  of  our  questions  they  would  say: 
"Oh,  yes ;  our  boys  have  gone  to  the  army  now, 


11EOOLLECTIONS.  319 

but  they  are  coining  home  one  of  these  days,  and 
the  way  they  will  make  you  Yanks  skedaddle  will 
be  awful!" 

While  we  were  guarding  our  interests  in  the  city, 
the  great  battle  of  Shiloh,  or  Pittsburgh  Landing, 
was  fought.  That  this  battle  was  to  occur,  the 
Rebel  part  of  the  population  seemed  to  have  been 
apprised  of  for  some  time  before  it  took  place; 
and  they  were  sanguine  as  to  the  expected  result. 
And  to  depict  their  surprise,  chagrin  and  distress, 
when  they  learned  that  the  victory  was  on  the 
Union  side,  would  require  much  skill  and  time. 
But  everywhere  were  signs  of  their  mortification 
and  disappointment. 

Early  in  April  I  went  back  to  Louisville  to  look 
after  our  sick,  whom  we  had  left  in  hospital  at 
Belmont  Furnace.  I  remained  with  them  two 
days  and  procured  supplies,  clothing,  etc.,  and  left 
all  improving  but  two.  These  I  commended  to 
"God  and  the  word  of  His  grace,"  and,  with  our 
last  farewells  sadly  spoken,  returned  to  camp. 

Not  long  after  this,  I  found  myself  con- 
siderably out  of  health.  A  very  bilious  condition 
of  system  unfitted  me  for  duty  and  obstinately 
refused  to  yield  to  medical  treatment.  I  saw  that 
if  I  remained  I  must  go  into  hospital,  and,  in  all 
probability,  into  my  grave.  My  friends,  who  felt 
anxious  for  me,  advised  me  to  ask  for  sick  leave, 
and  go  North  as  soon  as  possible.  But  I  concluded 
that  if  I  could  not  do  the  work,  I  ought  to  resign, 
which  I  did,  and  which  resignation  was  in  a  few 
days  accepted. 


320  RECOLLECTIONS. 

On  the  16th  of  April  I  left  for  Louisville.  Here, 
at  the  home  of  my  friends,  the  Holmans,  I  became 
too  ill  to  go  further,  and  was  under  the  care  of  a 
physician  for  four  days.  To  get  North,  as  soon  as 
possible,  seemed  the  proper  thing  in  my  case  to 
do,  and,  being  carefully  brought  in  a  carriage  to 
the  depot  by  my  friends,  I  was  put  on  board  the 
cars  for  Chicago.  At  Michigan  City  we  encoun- 
tered a  snow-storm,  the  sight  of  which  seemed  to 
have  a  tonic  effect  and  did  me  good.  I  rested  a 
day  in  Chicago  and  arrived  home,  April  24th,  still 
weak  but  improving. 

The  Minnesota  Third,  from  which  I  had  just 
parte'd,  was  a  grand  body  of  men.  The  rank  and 
file  were  intelligent,  many  of  them  religious,  and 
all,  so  far  as  I  had  opportunity  to  observe,  in- 
fluenced by  a  sense  of  honor  and  a  determination 
to  do  their  duty.  Shortly  after  my  return  home 
they  were  ordered  to'Murfreesboro,  and  there  were 
ingloriously  surrendered  as  prisoners  of  war,  by  a 
bare  majority  of  their  officers,  without  having 
struck  a  blow.  This  so  discouraged  and  demoral- 
ized them,  that  they  scarcely  recovered  their  self- 
respect  during  the  war. 

This  regiment,  however,  did  good  service  in  the 
Indian  war  of  1862,  and  also  in  Tennessee  and  Ar- 
kansas, and  until  the  war  closed,  when  they  were 
honorably  mustered  out.  My  health  began  to  im- 
prove from  the  time  of  my  reaching  a  higher  lati- 
tude; and  so  soon  as  able,  I  was,  at  the  request 
of  the  official  board  and  the  presiding  elder,  at 
work  again  in  the  Winona  station,  filling  out  a 


RECOLLECTIONS.  321 

vacancy  caused  by  the  illness  of  the  pastor,  Rev. 
S.  Bplles. 

This  dear  brother  was,  in  the  days  of  his 
strength  and  for  many  years,  cme  of  the  most  noted 
evangelists  in  our  Methodist  church  in  the 
Northwest.  He  was  almost  a  boy  when  he  gave 
his  heart  to  God  and  his  life  and  labor  to 
the  church.  He  has  had  a  wonderful  influence 
in  reaching  the  conscience  of  sinners,  and  through 
the  might  of  the  Holy  Spirit  many  thousands  have 
been  led  by  him  to  the  Lamb  of  God  who  taketh 
away  the  sins  of  the  world.  Of  a  gentle,  dignified 
and  eminently  Christian  character,  and  of  a  sym- 
pathetic nature,  he  is  called,  because  of  his  readily 
flowing  tears,  the  "weeping  prophet."  Bro.  Bolles 
has  done  a  grand  life-work  in  the  Rock  River  and 
the  Minnesota  conferences,  and  his  sun  is  setting 
in  fadeless  splendor. 

While  filling  out  this  term  of  service  I  found 
a  very  pleasant  home  in  the  family  of  Hon.  Thomas 
Simpson,  of  Winona,  and  his  most  estimable  wife. 
These  dear  friends,  then  in  the  morning  of  their 
married  life  and  Christian  activity,  were  abundant 
in  good  works.  The  M.  E.  church,  of  Winona, 
now  one  of  our  strongest  and  most  desirable  ap- 
pointments, owes  very  much  to  the  fidelity 
of  Bro.  Simpson,  who,  as  superintendent  of 
the  Sunday  school  for  almost  twenty-five  years, 
local  preacher,  trustee  and  steward,  has  been 
instrumental  in  laying  its  foundations  in  truth  and 
righteousness.  Nor  can  less  be  said  of  his  noble 
wife,  who  wisely  and  with  the  administrative 


322  RECOLLECTIONS. 

ability  of  a  statesman,  and  the  gentle  carriage 
of  a  Christian  lady,  has  moulded  and  developed 
the  social  life  of  the  church  society,  making  it  a 
very  model  for  earnest  work,  on  all  lines  of  Chris- 
tian activity  and  associated  benevolence. 

During  the  war  times  Sister  Simpson  did  very 
much  to  contribute  to  the  comfort  of  the 
soldiers.  Boxes  of  bandages,  lint,  jellies  and  com- 
forts of  many  serviceable  kinds  found  their  way  to 
the  front  from  the  ladies  of  Winona;  whose  leader 
was  our  indefatigable  worker,  Mrs.  Thomas  Simp- 
son. Later,  when  the  children,  orphaned  by  the 
war,  were  to  be  cared  for,  it  was  Mrs.  Simpson 
who  planned  and  superintended  the  ."Soldier's 
Orphan's  Home"  at  Winona;  in  which  many  a 
young  life  was  directed  to  honorable  manhood  and 
womanhood.  And  she  still  labors  for  the  Master 
in  the  church  and  Sunday  school  and  in  the 
blessed  work  of  the  ""Woman's  Christian  Temper- 
ance Union."  A  few  silver  threads  are  mingling 
with  the  brown  upon  her  brow;  but  it  bears  the 
stamp  of  a  noble,  earnest  womanhood;  that  with 
"patient  endurance  of  hope  unto  the  end"  will  one 
day  wear  the  crown  of  immortal  life.  Three  pro- 
mising sons  are  also  rising  up  to  call  her  blessed. 


RECOLLECTIONS.  323 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

my  service  in  Winona  the  Sioux  Indi- 
^  ans  on  our  western  frontier  began  an  indis- 
criminate slaughter  of  the  inhabitants.  Eight 
hundred  were  killed  before  their  furious  onslaught 
could  be  stayed,  although  as  soon  as  their  treach- 
ery was  known,  hundreds  of  men  self  supplied 
and  self  equipped,  rushed  to  the  front  to  stay  the 
tide  of  death. 

The  call  of  the  Governor  brought  out  a  strong, 
well  organized  force  sufficient  to  chastise  the  savages 
for  their  cruelty.  For  two  years  this  Indian  war 
was  prosecuted  by  Minnesota  troops  alone,  paid  by 
the  General  Government,  until  the  murdered 
settlers  were  avenged,  and  the  Indians  taught  a 
lesson  which  they  have  never  forgotten.  Forty  of 
these  savages  were  hung  at  one  time  at  Man- 
kato,  or  rather  thirty  nine  were  hung,  one  having 
died.  This  severity  seemed  at  last  to  break  the 
spirit  of  the  Sioux,  and  the  rebellion  ended. 

The  Minnesota  conference  met  in  Winona  in 
September;  Bishop  Janes,  presiding. 

The  Northwest  Wisconsin  conference  met  at 
Hudson;  Bishop  Janes,  presiding.  Both 
very  pleasant  sessions.  My  appointment 


324  RECOLLECTIONS. 

was  Prescott  station.  This  was  one  of  the  pleas- 
antest  appointments  in  Northern  Wisconsin.  And 
as  soon  as  the  arrangements  could  be  made,  I 
moved  my  family  from  Red  Wing,  where  we  had 
made  our  home  for  the  preceding  seven  years. 

We  were  cordially  welcomed  to  our  new  home 
and  field  of  labor,  and  the  year's  work  was  as  suc- 
cessful as  under  the  constant  excitement  of  the 
stirring  events  of  those  days,  could  be  expected. 
For  there  was  scarcely  a  family  in  the  village, 
or  in  the  vicinity  of  it,  that  was  not  represented  in 
the  Union  army.  Some  with  General  Grant 
along  the  Mississippi;  some  in  Tennessee  with 
Rosecrans;  some  with  McClellan,  and  some  in  the 
Indian  campaign  up  the  Missouri.  And  almost 
every  heart  was  throbbing  with  anxiety  or  wound- 
ed with  sorrow;  and  every  flash  of  the  telegraph 
brought  news  of  conflict  or  reports  of  victory, 
which  meant  blood  and  death,  and  tears,  and 
broken  hearts ;  or  there  were  calls  for  more  troops ; 
or  help  was  needed  by  Sanitary  or  by  Christian 
commissions. 

With  what  eagerness  tidings  were  sought  and 
watched  for,  to  be  so  often  only  the  messengers  of 
sadness!  From  that  little  village,  as  from  many 
an  other  town  and  city,  our  whole  country  over,  of 
the  fathers  and  husbands,  brothers,  sons  and 
lovers  who  went  forth  at  the  call  of  their 
country,  strong  and  brave  hearted,  many  never  re- 
turned, and  many  came  back  only  to  die;  or  crip- 
pled for  life,  to  wear  the  scars  of  carnage  and  of 
cruelty.  The  terror  and  dread,  caused  by  the 


RECOLLECTIONS.  325 

savage  ferocity  of  the  Indians,  added  to  the 
troubles  of  that  terrible  time.  While  the  Indian 
war  was  being  waged  on  the  west,  all  knew  that 
the  Chippewas  on  the  north  could  any  day  attack 
our  frontier  settlements;  and  they  were  restless 
and  threatening.  This,  also  disturbed  the  people. 
The  settlers  in  the  West  were  nearly  all  collected 
in  stockades  and  forts;  while  in  Northwest  Wiscon- 
sin the  inhabitants  of  large  neighborhoods  were 
stampeded  by  rumors  of  approaching  savages. 
Yet  in  all  this  ordeal,  and  time  of  excitement,  "of 
wars  and  rumors  of  wars,"  our  society  in  Prescott 
waited  upon  God;  and  we  stayed  our  hearts  upon 
His  Word.  And  we  held  our  own  and  gained  a 
little. 

The  .Minnesota  conference  had  been  held  at 
Hastings;  closing  October  3,  1863,  and  the 
Northwest  Wisconsin  was  to  meet  at  Eau  Claire, 
October  6.  Bishop  Ames  was  to  preside  at  each. 

To  get  from  Hastings  to  Eau  Claire,  it  was 
necessary  to  travel  through  the  Eau  Galle  and  Me- 
nomonee  woods  by  way  of  Prescott  and  Hammond, 
a  distance  of  one  hundred  miles,  forty  of  which 
was  a  wilderness,  as  there  were  but  one  or  two 
houses  on  the  route  after  leaving  Hammond  for 
the  next  forty  miles.  To  make  it  pleasant  for  the 
bishop,  who  was  depending  on  us  for  conveyance,  I 
had  arranged  that  about  twelve  of  us  should  meet 
at  Bro.  Mattison's  in  Pleasant  Valley,  to  which 
point  the  bishop  was  to  be  brought;  and  we  would 
convey  him  on  from  there.  And  also  that  after 


326  RECOLLECTIONS. 

the  bishop's   arrival    at    noon,    we    would    enjoy 
dinner  together. 

By  twelve  o'clock  we  were  all  on  hand  at  Bro. 
Mattison's,  and  looking  for  the  bishop;  while  Sister 
Mattison,  knowing  we  had  a  long  ride  to  take,  had 
her  dinner  promptly  ready,  and  an  abundant  and 
excellent  one  it  was.  One  o'clock  had  come,  but 
no  bishop;  2  o'clock — half  past  two — and  we  then 
concluded  that  he  had  stopped  at  Kiver  Falls  for 
dinner;  and  we  sat  down  hungry  enough.  We  had 
just  finished,  however,  when  the  bishop  drove  up 
— and  had  not  been  to  dinner.  The  supply  of  pro- 
visions had  been  abundant,  especially  the  beans, 
and  so  the  bishop  fared  equally  as  well  as  those  who 
had  enjoyed  the  first  table.  But  there  had  been 
quite  a  loss  of  time;  consequently,  we  made  little 
delay  after  the  meal  was  over  in  taking  to  our 
vehicles  and  horses  as  we  were  obliged  to  push  on 
as  far  as  possible  into  the  woods  that  night,  in 
order  to  get  through  the  next  day.  My  intention 
had  been  to  make  about  twenty-five  miles  before 
dark  and  camp  out  in  the  woods.  But  as  it  was, 
night  overtook  us  just  as  we  came  to  a  deserted 
log  hut,  having  driven  only  about  fifteen  miles. 
Some  of  us,  in  arranging  this  plan,  thought  that  it 
might  assist  the  bishop  to  appreciate  the  luxuries 
of  his  Baltimore  home  a  trifle  more,  if  he  should 
camp  out  with  us  and  experience  for  himself  a  little 
of  the  rough  and  tumble  of  western  itinerant  life. 
Bat  as  it  happened,  we  slept  quite  comfortably  on 
tho  floor  of  the  deserted  hut;  and  having  blankets 
and  provisions  in  abundance,  could  in  no  sense 


RECOLLECTIONS.  327 

consider  it  hard  fare.  At  least  it  was  what  we  had 
learned  by  frequent  experience  to  think  very  fine 
accommodation. 

The  next  day,  the  bishop,  as  we  were  getting 
ready  to  resume  our  journey,  proposed  a  change  of 
partners  in  his  own  conveyance  and  mine,  so  that 
we  might  talk  over  the  work  of  the  district  and 
needs  of  the  work.  Some  of  the  pleasantry,  of 
which  the  bishop  at  times  had  an  abundance,  could 
not  be  much  longer  repressed;  and  after  we  had 
been  talking  and  riding  for  some  time  he  said, 
(there  being  three  of  us  in  the  hack  with  the 
bishop):  — 

"Well,  brethren,  it  appears  to  me  that  as  we  are 
on  our  way  to  conference,  we  ought  to  settle  any 
little  differences  we  may  have,  before  we  get  there." 
To  this  there  was  cordial  and  general  consent;  all 
wondering,  however,  who  was  meant,  and  what  dif- 
ferences there  were  to  settle. 

"I  was  thinking,"  he  continued,  in  a  sober  and 
somewhat  grieved  tone,  "about  the  difficulty  be- 
tween Bro.  Hobart  and  myself,  on  account  of  his 
having  eaten  up  all  the  beans  for  dinner  yesterday, 
before  I  came."  At  this  there  was  a  hearty  laugh; 
when  Bro.  Hobart  defended  himself  by  saying, 
that  he  had  waited  dinner  two  hours  and  a  half 
for  the  bishop,  and  had  concluded  that  he  did  not 
intend  to  dine  with  us;  consequently,  we  were  the 
parties,  if  any,  who  had  a  right  to  complain,  we 
and  the  good  sister  who  had  kept  her  dinner  hot — 
expecting  him  for  two  and  a  half  mortal  hours. 

"Well,  well,"  he  responded,  pleasantly,  but  as  if 


328  EECOLLECTIONS. 

pronouncing  a  judicial  sentence,  "I  suppose  we 
ought,  perhaps,  to  compromise  the  matter  and 
have  no  hard  feelings,  even  if  Bro.  Hobart  did  eat 
up  the  beans." 

We  reached  Eau  Claire  the  next  day,  where  the 
good  people  entertained  the  preachers  with  royal 
good  will.  And  we  had  a  pleasant,  harmonious 
and  profitable  conference.  C.  Hobart  and  Rev. 
T.  C.  Golden  were  elected  delegates  to  the  General 
conference  to  be  held  in  Philadelphia,  May,  1864. 
And  I  was  returned  to  Prescott  for  the  second 
year;  which  was  satisfactory  to  the  preacher,  and, 
so  far  as  I  know,  to  the  people.  As  our  daughter 
was  attending  Hamline  university,  and  we-  found 
it  difficult  to  secure  such  boarding  accommodations 
for  her  as  we  desired,  we  arranged  this  year  to 
have  the  family  return  to  our  Bed  Wing  home, 
while  I  remained  at  my  work,  and  I  found  a  pleas- 
ant boarding  place  with  Grandma  Redman  and 
her  daughter,  Mrs.  York. 

During  the  winter  a  call  was  made  for 
ministers  to  help  in  the  Sanitary  and  Christian 
commissions,  to  nurse  the  sick  and  wounded,  dis- 
tribute Bibles,  tracts,  papers,  clothing,  etc.,  and  to 
care  generally  for  our  "boys  in  blue."  To  this 
call  I  responded,  asking  to  be  sent  to  the  front; 
and  preferring  to  go  to  Alabama,  near  Huntsville, 
where  the  Fifth  Iowa  cavalry  was  at  the  time,  and 
to  which  my  son  belonged.  I  arranged  to  have 
my  pulpit  supplied,  and,  accompanied  by  Rev.  G. 
W.  Richardson,  was  soon  en  route. 

OIL  reaching  Nashville,  I  learned  that  the  Fifth 


RECOLLECTIONS.  329 

Iowa  had  just  arrived  there  from  Huutsville,  to  re- 
main for  a  week  or  two  until  paid  off,  and  be  newly 
clothed,  when  they  were  to  return  to  their  homes  on 
a  "veteran  furlough."  This,  of  course,  changed 
my  desire  for  proceeding  to  Alabama,  and  at  the 
urgent  request  of  Eev.  Smith,  superintendent  of 
the  Christian  commission  at  Nashville,  I  con- 
sented to  remain  there  and  take  charge  of  the 
"Zollikoffer  Barracks."  The  building  so  named, 
was  an  immense  unfinished  hotel,  which  would 
accommodate  about  two  thousand  of  the  soldiers, 
and  was  used  as  a  stopping  place  for  those  going 
to  the  front  and  returning.  Bro.  Richardson  was 
given  charge  of  the  convalescent  camp  adjoining 
the  penitentiary.  Our  work  consisted  in  preach- 
ing to  the  boys,  once  or  twice  a  day,  in  the  various 
camps;  in  caring  for  the  sick  and  distributing 
books  and  papers  to  the  soldiers,  well,  sick  and 
wounded,  and  especially  in  furnishing  every  man 
going  to  the  front,  with  a  Bible  or  Testament. 
We  were  also  able  to  visit  several  of  the  hospitals, 
and  gave  such  help  and  comfort  to  the  brave  suf- 
ferers in  them  as  we  could."  This  labor  of  love  we 
enjoyed;  it  kept  us  busy  and  fully  occupied;  but 
we  have  hope  that  it  made  it  easier  for  some  to  do 
right,  harder  for  others  to  do  wrong,  refreshed 
many  weary  hearts,  smoothed  and  soothed  some 
dying  pillows;  and  directed  the  feet  of  hundreds 
to  the  "Lamp  of  Life." 

While  attending  one  of  the  camps,  I  found  a 
strong,  muscular  young  man,  who  belonged  to  the 
First  Tennessee  cavalry,  who  had  been  placed  under 

22 


330  RECOLLECTIONS. 

guard,  and  left  there  while  the  regiment  proceeded 
toward  Memphis.  The  regiment  had  been  ordered 
off  in  a  hurry,  and  he  had  probably  been  forgotten. 
It  appeared  that  when  his  regiment  had  come  to 
Nashville  he  had  become  drunk,  and  mistaking  him- 
S3lf  for  commander-in-chief,  had  to  be  put  under 
guard.  When  I  found  him  he  was  sober  enough, 
and  chafing  like  a  tethered  eagle,  held  to  the  earth, 
•  and  struggling  to  mount  to  the  clouds:  "I  must 
get  off!  I  can't  stay  here!  I  ought  not  to  be  here! 
What  shall  I  do?"  were  some  of  his  expressions  of 
real  distress.  After  seeing  his  situation  I  went  to 
Gov.  Andrew  Johnson,  afterwards  Vice-President, 
and  later,  unfortunately,  President  of  the  United 
States,  and  secured  his  discharge  and  return  to 
his  regiment;  for  which  favor  he  gave  me  his 
grateful  acknowledgments. 

One  Sunday  afternoon,  after  Bro.  Richardson 
and  I  had  preached  in  the  morning,  we  went  to 
the  Zion  Methodist  church,  colored.  We  heard  a 
rather  unique  sermon,  after  which  we  had  a  class- 
meeting  on  a  new  pattern.  The  preacher  called 
forward  twelve  of  the  brethren  who  took  their 
places  in  the  altar.  These  he  addressed  and  ex- 
horted as  a  leader  would  the  members  of  his 
class,  and  concluded  by  saying,  "Now,  bred-ren, 
do  your  duty."  Each  of  the  twelve  proceeded  at 
once  to  take  charge  as  class  leaders  of  as  many 
sections  of  the  congregation,  four  of  these  being 
in  the  corners,  and  the  other  eight  scattered 
about  in  the  centre  and  adjoining  parts  of  the 
church.  The  members  seemed  to  understand 


RECOLLECTIONS.  331 

to  which  claim  they  belonged,  the  several 
claims  being  in  many  instances  not  only  con- 
tiguous but  over-lapping.  Zeal  and  fervor 
began  soon  to  rise  as  an  oncoming  tide,  when  a 
shout  from  one  corner  was  heard;  then  another 
from  an  opposite  direction;  then  from  several  in- 
termediate points,  until  scarcely  anything  else 
could  be  heard  in  the  house  but  exclamations  of 
praise  and  shouts  of  glory. 

We  had  been  seated  in  the  division  on  the  right 
of  the  pulpit  and  had,  in  due  course,  been  spoken 
to  by  our  leader,  who  was  engaged  in  addressing 
those  behind  us,  when  the  leader  of  the  adjoining 
class  in  his  rounds  came  near  and  supposing  that 
the  brother  on  our  right  belonged  to  his  class, 
said  with  considerable  official  dignity: — 

"Tell  us,  brudder,  how's  you  getten  long?"  To 
which  the  brother  responded  with  equal  impor- 
tance:— 

"Augh  g'long!  I'se  been  looked  over!"  Short- 
ly after,  with  a  general  hand  shaking,  the  meeting 
closed. 

During  our  stay  in  Nashville,  we  were  delighted 
to  meet  Bishop  Simpson,  who  had  come  down  at 
the  suggestion  of  Secretary  Stanton,  to  ascertain 
if  it  were  practicable  for  the  M.  E.  church  to  re- 
occupy  and  hold  the  church  buildings  of  the  M.  E. 
church,  South.  The  bishop  called  together  about 
twenty  of  the  Methodist  preachers,  who  were  there 
as  chaplains,  visitors  and  workers,  in  the  Sanitary 
and  Christian  commissions,  and  had  a  consultation 
on  the  subject.  The  bishop  was  in  favor  of  such 


332  BECOLLECTIONS. 

occupation,  and  made  quite  a  plausible  speech  in 
its  interest,  and  after  giving  us  the  opinions  of 
Mr.  Stanton  and  others,  called  on  the  brethren 
present  for  an  expression  of  their  views  on  the 
subject. 

After  considerable  discussion  and  expression  of 
opinion  from  others,  I  told  them  that  I  thought 
the  measure  proposed,  both  wrong  and  impracti- 
cable; that  I  had  no  doubt  of  the  triumph  of  our 
cause,  nor  of  the  propriety  of  carrying  our  work 
into  the  South,  but  that  we  were  perfectly  able  to 
build  our  own  churches.  I  also  said  that  it  was 
my  opinion  that  if  we  should  take  those  churches 
and  man  them,  that  we  would  never  have  any  one 
who  had  been  in  sympathy  with  the  Rebellion  to 
hear  us.  The  good  bishop  dissented  entirely  from 
my  views,  and  when  the  vote  was  taken  upon  the 
measure,  I  found  myself  in  -the  minority  of  one. 
Subsequent  events,  however,  proved  that  the  mi- 
nority was  in  the  right,  and  in  this  case,  at  least, 
that  the  majority  was  wrong. 

After  four  weeks  spent  in  Nashville,  we  were 
sent  down  to  Murfreesboro,  to  look  after  the 
wants  of  our  soldiers,  in  the  garrison  and  hospi- 
tals there.  While  here,  Bro.  Richardson  and  my- 
self visited  the  Stone  River  battle  field,  where  for 
three  days  nearly  five  hundred  thousand  men  had 
struggled  in  mortal  combat.  We  walked  among 
the  graves  where  peaceably  slept,  side  by  side,  the 
boys  of  the  Blue  and  the  Grey.  And  we  thought 
of  the  burial  of  Sir  John  Moore,  and  his  heroes, 
of  whom  it  was  sung: — 


RECOLLECTIONS.  333 

"They  have  slept  their  last  sleep, 
They  have  fought  their  last  battle; 
And  no  sound  can  awake  them — 
To  glory  again." 

I  gathered  a  few  mementoes  there  and  on  my 
return  labeled  and  presented  them  as  souvenirs 
of  Stone  River's  bloody  battle  field  to  the  cabi- 
net collection  of  Hamline  university. 

On  my  return  home,  at  the  expiration  of  my 
term  of  six  weeks'  service,  I  found  my  son  was 
still  on  his  "veteran  furlough."  We  enjoyed  a 
visit  with  him  for  a  few  days,  and  then  he  was 
ordered  to  Fort  Snelling.  From  thence  his  bat- 
talion had  orders  to  join  General  Sibley  in  his 
expedition  against  the  Indians  up  the  Missouri. 
In  that  service,  they  were  retained  until  the  close 
of  the  war. 

About  the  22d  of  April,  I  joined  Drs.  Eddy 
and  Crary,  and  we  proceeded  via  the  Pensylvania 
Central  and  York  railroad  to  Baltimore. 
Dr  Crary  and  myself  spent  two  days  in 
looking  at  the  objects  of  interest  in  the  Monu- 
mental City,  and  then  proceeded  to  Washington, 
where  we  remained  three  days,  visiting  the  Capi- 
tol, the  Treasury  Building,  just  then  completed, 
the  Smithsonian  Institute,  several  of  the  libraries, 
and  the  White  House;  then  the  residence  of  my 
old  friend  of  Springfield  days,  President  Abraham 
Lincoln;  and  reached  Philadelphia,  the  seat  of  the 
General  conference,  on  April  30th,  1864. 

At  this  conference  I  missed  many  familiar  faces, 
of  those  with  whom  I  had  been  associated  through 
the  earlier  years  of  my  ministry.  Twenty-eight 


334  RECOLLECTIONS. 

changeful  years  had  caused  those  who  were  elder- 
ly men  when  I  joined  the  ranks  of  the  itinerancy, 
to  be  either  laid  aside  from  the  active  work,  or 
borne  them  to  the  Land  of  Life;  and  now  vigorous 
and  younger  men  were  filling  their  places. 

The  happy  suggestion  was  here  made  by  some 
one,  that  the  committees  should  meet  once  in  three 
days;  thus  giving  the  smaller  conferences  an  op- 
portunity of  being  represented.  Bro.  Golden  and 
myself  served  upon  about  six  different  standing 
committees.  When  a  member  of  the  "committee 
on  revisals,"  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  suggesting 
two  amendments,  which  were  adopted  by  the  con- 
ference and  which  have  continued  in  the  Discipline 
until  the  present.  One,  allowing  the  bishop  to 
appoint  a  traveling  preacher,  agent  for  the  tem- 
perance work.  This  I  did  at  the  suggestion  of  my 
old  friend  and  brother,  Dr.  John  Quigley.  The 
other,  amending  the  Discipline  so  as  to  read:  "A 
majority  of  the  board  of  trustees,  shall  be  mem- 
bers of  our  church."  Thus  allowing  us  to  avail 
ourselves  of  the  help  of  those  who,  though  friend- 
ly and  loyal  to  the  M.  E.  church,  were  not  mem- 
bers in  fact.  I  remember  that  at  the  close  of  the 
Episcopal  address,  there  seemed  to  be  a  wonder- 
ful outburst  of  enthusiasm  and  applause  on  the 
part  of  many.  My  friend,  Kev.  Granville  Moody, 
D.  D.,  voiced  this  feeling  by  thanking  God,  in  his 
boisterous  style  of  eloquence,  that  he  had  lived  to 
see  the  day,  when  such  recommendations  as  we 
had  heard  should  be  embodied  in  an  Episcopal 
address  in  regard  to  slavery. 


RECOLLECTIONS.  335 

With  this  laudation  I  could  not  sympathize.  It 
appeared  to  me  to  savor  of  absurdity.  That  now, 
when  the  Almighty  had,  with  the  avenging  tread 
of  the  war  demon,  trampled  out  the  "accursed  in- 
stitution," and  washed  away  some  of  our  national 
stains  with  the  spilled  blood  of  our  brave  thous- 
ands— now  to  recommend  in  General  conference, 
that  no  slave  holder  be  admitted  to  membership 
in  the  M.  E.  church,  was  a  matter  of  no  great  credit. 

Had  this  been  done  eight,  or  even  four  years  be- 
fore, it  would  have  been  an  act  of  moral  heroism, 
which  would  have  entitled  us  to  take  higher  rank 
as  a  church;  but  to  do  it  now,  when  there  was 
nothing  to  lose,  and  no  moral  altitude  to  be  gained 
by  it,  demanded,  it  seemed  to  me,  rather  a  con- 
sciousness of  humiliation,  than  of  commendation 
or  applause  of  ourselves.  The  great  men  who  in 
those  days  were  our  leaders,  have  passed  into  Abra- 
ham's bosom;  their  eulogies  have  been  said  and 
sung  in  all  our  churches,  and  yet  among  the  mul- 
titude of  their  panegyrists,  none  have,  nor  could, 
truly  assert  that  they  had  ever  fully  antagonized 
the  monster,  Slavery,  until  the  old  giant  was  in  his 
coffin. 

Quite  early  in  the  session,  Bro.  Golden  and  I 
had  sent  to  the  chair  a  resolution,  asking  that  a 
committee  of  five,  including  one  bishop,  be  sent  to 
Washington  to  congratulate  President  Lincoln  on 
his  wise  management  of  the  war,  and  to  assure 
him  of  the  continued  loyalty  of  the  General  con- 
ference, and  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  to  the  cause  of  the  Union.  This  resolu- 


336  RECOLLECTIONS. 

tion    was    adopted    without    a    dissenting    voice. 

And  it  was  in  his  interview  with  that  committee 
that  President  Lincoln  pronounced  and'  sent  to 
the  General  conference  his  noted  eulogy  on  our 
denomination:  "That  the  Methodist  church  had 
sent  more  soldiers  to  the  field,  more  nurses  to  the 
camp,  and  more  prayers  to  Heaven  than  any  other 
church."  Parliamentary  etiquette  would  have 
entitled  either  Bro.  Golden  or  myself  to  a  place 
on  that  committee,  but  we  were  satisfied  with  the 
honor  of  having  originated  the  thought.  The 
committee  were,  Bishop  Ames,  Drs.  Elliott,  Cum- 
mings,  Moody,  and,  I  think,  Bristol. 

It  was  at  this  or  the  preceding  General  con- 
ference, when  on  the  committee  on  "boundaries" 
that  I  called  up  the  question  of  the  naniing  of  our 
conferences,  and  proposed  that  hereafter,  instead 
of  calling  an  Ohio  conference — Deleware,  an  Illi- 
nois conference — Peoria,  a  New  York  conference 
— Oneida,  Black  River,  or  Genesee,  that,  the  geo- 
graphical position  of  the  conference  should  deter- 
mine the  name.  This  recommendation,  greatly  to 
the  advantage  of  all  concerned,  was  adopted  and 
has  been  since  continued. 

The  report  of  the  committee  on  "Episcopacy" 
favored  the  election  of  three  bishops.  And  it  very 
soon  became  evident  that,  in  the  opinion  of  their 
friends,  there  were  about  twenty  brethren  well 
fitted  for  the  office  of  a  bishop;  and  not  less  than 
fifty  others,  who  would  not  have  refused  election 
to  that  responsible  office,  had  their  friends  insisted 
that  they  should  assume  the  honor.  However,  the 


RECOLLECTIONS.  337 

report  of  the  committee  was  adopted  and  but  three 
were  chosen.  The  first  ballot  elected  Drs. 
Thompson  and  Clarke  by  a  fair  majority;  the 
second,  Dr.  C.  Kingsley,  greatly  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  his  old  anti-slavery  friends. 

During  our  stay  in  Philadelphia,  there  was  also 
held  a  National  Association  of  the  Baptist 
church,  bringing  together  a  large  number  of  its 
leading  ministers  and  members.  I  was  pleasantly 
surprised  a  few  days  after  this  body  convened,  to 
receive  a  call  from  the  Rev.  Isaac  N.  Hobart,  a 
minister  of  that  church  and  a  member  of  the  asso- 
ciation. We  were  cousins;  had  occasionally  cor- 
responded for  years,  but  had  never  met  before. 
We  spent  a  day  together,  visiting  libraries,  muse- 
ums, art  galleries,  etc.,  and  found  our  association 
mutually  agreeable. 

On  returning  to  my  charge,  I  gave  much  time 
and  attention  to  the  building  of  the  parsonage, 
which  I  had  commenced  before  going  to  Phila- 
delphia, and  by  the  close  of  the  summer  had  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  it  ready  for  occupancy  and  out 
of  debt.  On  this  parsonage  I  had  worked  assid- 
uously, laying  the  foundation,  framing  and  enclos- 
ing the  building,  hauling  the  lumber,  etc.,  mostly 
myself,  with  the  occasional  assistance  of  the 
brethren,  when  we  would  make  a  "bee"  for  the 
special  service  needed. 

This  summer,  that  of  1864,  was  the  crucial  period 
of  the  war.  Sherman  and  Thomas,  with  others 
equally  heroic,  were  fighting  around  Atlanta  some 
of  their  bloodiest  battles.  While  Grant,  with  his 


338  RECOLLECTIONS. 

grand  corps  commanders,  Sheridan,Meade,Hancock 
and  others,  was  cutting  his  way  from  the  Rapidaii 
to  Petersburg,  leaving  the  ground  saturated  with 
blood.  Now  all  the  agony  of  the  previous  years 
seemed  to  be  intensified.  In  Prescott  there  were 
many  aching  hearts  and  several  bereaved  house- 
holds. Two  young  men,  sons  of  our  leading  church 
members,  each  commanding  companies,  fell  in  that 
awful  Battle  of  the  Wilderness.  Our  friends  in  the 
Chippewa  valley  were  also  in  sorrow.  One,  our 
"Little  Johnnie  Doughty,"  who  had  been  the  first 
person  converted  in  the  great  revival  of  1858,  and 
who  made  the  air  vocal  with  his  glad  songs  of 
praise,  had  been  taken  prisoner  at  Chickamauga, 
and  sent  to  Libby  prison.  There,  as  his  hand  was 
seen  by  the  guard,  on  or  near  the  ledge  of  the 
window,  it  was  made  a  target  of,  and  wantonly 
shot  through.  Then  he  was  sent  to  a  hospital  and 
allowed  to  die  of  a  wound  which  ordinarily  would 
have  healed.  Another  was  shot  down  at  the  battle 
of  Stone  Kiver,  and  a  third,  the  son  of  our 
excellent  Bro.  Colman,  was  so  injured  by  a  wound 
in  the  skull,  that  for  long  months  it  was  doubtful 
whether  reason  would  ever  return.  And  so  it  was, 
mourning  and  anxiety  were  everywhere. 

Our  Northwest  Wisconsin  conference  was  to 
meet  that  fall  at  Black  Eiver  Falls,  and  I  had  gone 
to  my  home  preparatory  to  setting  out  for  it  and  was 
just  packing  my  valise,  when  Rev.  B.  F.  Hoyt,  of 
St.  Paul,  called  to  inform  me  that  Bishop  Kings- 
ley,  (who  had  been  presiding  at  the  Minnesota 
conference  at  St.  Paul),  had  transferred  me  to 


RECOLLECTIONS.  339 

that  conference  and  stationed  me  at  "Market  street." 
As  there  had  been  no  intimation  either  on  my  part, 
or  that  of  any  other,  so  far  as  I  was  aware,  of  this 
transfer,  it  not  only  surprised  but  disappointed  me. 
It  necessitated  changes  that  I  had  not  thought  of 
making,  and  drove  me  to  much  prayer  and  re- 
newed consecration,  before  I  was  prepared  to  be- 
lieve that  this  was  the  best  thing  for  the  work  and 
for  me;  and  was  part  of  the  "all  things  working 
together  for  good,"  according  to  the  Word  of  onr 
God. 

In  about  ten  days  we  had  packed  up;  found  a 
tenant  for  our  house,  had  moved,  and  were  settled 
in  St.  Paul,  and  I  was  at  my  work  in  the  same 
little  church  which  I  had  labored  so  hard  to  build, 
fifteen  years  before.  Here  I  found  a  Sunday 
school  of  some  thirty  attendants,  and  a  congrega- 
tion of  about  thirty-five;  these  nearly  all  members 
of  the  church. 

This  condition  of  things  is  accounted  for  by  the 
fact  that  some  few  years  before  the  great  majority 
of  the  membership  of  Market  street  church,  had 
selected  another  site,  and  built  the  Jackson  street 
church,  thus  leaving  the  Market  street  church  in 
its  then  depleted  condition.  On  ascertaining  these 
conditions,  the  next  thing  for  me  to  determine  was, 
whether  there  was  any  possibility  of  an  increase 
either  by  accretion  or  absorption.  If  so,  I 
intended  by  the  "help  of  the  Lord,"  and  the  "Word 
of  His  grace,"  to  do  what  in  me  lay  to  bring  about 
an  enlargement.  But  if  local  conditions  and  social 
influences  were  such  that  the  Sunday  school  and 


340  RECOLLECTIONS. 

congregation  were  hemmed  in,  and  bound  down  by 
an  ineradicable  conservatism,  then  I  saw  that  my 
duty  required  me  to  do  the  best  that  I  possibly 
could  for  that  year;  but  that  it  did  not  make  it 
incumbent  upon  me  to  remain  there  any  longer. 

I  also  learned,  after  a  while,  to  unriddle  the 
enigma  of  my  having  been  so  suddenly  picked  up 
from  my  work  in  the  Northwest  Wisconsin  con- 
ference and  transferred  to  Minnesota  and  to  the 
Market  street  church.  It  came  about  in  this  way: 
Among  my  earliest  acquaintances  in  St.  Paul,  was 
a  young  man  of  much  promise  and  ability,  Wm.  P. 
Murray,  Esq.,  a  lawyer  from  Indiana.  This  gentle- 
man had  been  a  member  of  the  M.  E.  church,  and 
was  then  an  attendant  on  our  religious  services. 
He  very  soon  became  exceedingly  popular  with  the 
people,  and  a  leading  man  in  the  Democratic  party, 
which  in  St.  Paul  was  in  need  of  a  leader.  He 
had  been  a  resident  of  the  territory  but  a  few 
months,  whon  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
House  of  Representatives,  and  from  that  time 
until  the  present  has  been  in  various  political 
positions  of  influence  and  trust — the  present 
city  attorney  of  St.  Paul  being  Hon.  W.  P. 
Murray.  In  about  two  years  he  returned  to 
Indiana  and  brought  back  as  his  bride  a  bright, 
sensible  little  lady,  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
church,  and  a  warm  hearted  Methodist,  of 
good  Methodist  stock.  The  associations  of  his 
political  career  had  not  conduced  to  Mr.  Murray's 
growth,  religiously.  This  was  a  grief  to  his  wife, 
who  was  anxious  for  his  salvation.  For  some  time 


RECOLLECTIONS.  341 

she  had  been  greatly  exercised  for  an  improve- 
ment in  his  interest  in  the  things  that  would 
"make  for  his  peace,"  and  on  one  occasion,  while 
conversing  with  him  on  the  subject,  learned  that  my 
appointment  to  Market  street  church  would,  as  she 
believed,  result  in  his  return  to  the  church,  and  to 
an  earnest  Christian  life.  What  wonder,  then,  that 
the  good  little  lady  and  loving  wife,  put  on  her 
thinking  cap?  And  what  wonder  that  when  not 
long  after,  the  conference  met  at  St.  Paul,  as  the 
result  of  her  diplomacy  and  wise  and  persistent 
effort,  the  bishop  and  cabinet  saw  the  matter  in 
the  same  light  as  herself,  and  I  was  transferred 
and  stationed  at  "Market  street,"  St.  Paul? 

Query :  Is  our  nation  the  gainer  or  loser  by  ex- 
cluding one  half  of  the  talent  and  three-fourths  of 
the  piety  from  participation  in  the  government  of 
the  country  and  allowing  the  worst  half  to  manage 
public  affairs  as  they  please?  Is  not  the  real 
mystery  of  the  day  the  fact,  that  in  the  church 
and  in  the  political  and  civil  world,  as  well  as  in 
the  social  realm,  we  do  not  assign,  to  women  the 
place  which  they  would  by  their  tact  and  purer 
moral  perceptions  elevate  and  adorn  and  to  which 
their  very  earnestness  and  enthusiasm  in  whatever 
affects  the  welfare  of  their  homes  and  of  their 
loved  ones,  adapts  them  ? 

Among  the  burden  bearers  of  our  little  society, 
I  recall  with  pleasure  the  names  of  Hon.  John 
Nichols  and  his  cultured,  Christian  wife,  a  Balti- 
more lady.  Bro.  Nichols  was  for  a  time  the  only 
wealthy  member  we  had.  He  was  leader,  steward, 


342  RECOLLECTIONS. 

trustee,  and  an  earnest  Sabbath  school  worker; 
as  well  as  a  liberal  supporter  of  the  preacher  and 
of  the  church.  A  quiet,  undemonstrative,  order 
loving,  genuine  Christian,  of  more  than  ordinary 
literary  attainments,  and  an  intelligent,  thoughtful 
hearer  of  the  Word  of  God,  and  a  lover  of  whatso- 
ever things  are  true.  His  elegant  and  hospitable 
home  was  made  a  welcome  resting  place  for  the 
preachers,  and  the  recollection  of  many  pleasant 
hours  enjoyed  in  that  Christian  home,  is  a  delight- 
ful memory.  Bro.  Nichols  died  about  ten  years 
ago,  in  the  faith  and  hope  of  a  glorious  immor- 
tality. 

Mrs.  Wm.  P.  Murray  was  also  one  of  our  active 
workers.  She  and  her  husband  never  wearied  of 
making  their  home  attractive  by  its  friendliness  to 
the  preachers.  During  the  year,  this  kind  family 
were  saddened  by  the  death  of  an  unusually  at- 
tractive and  beautiful  little  girl  of  about  nine 
years.  Little  Jennie  had  caught  the  welcome,  and 
the  manner  of  her  mother  in  her  entertainment  of 
her  pastor,  and  on  one  of  my  visits  to  the  family 
exemplified  this  very  prettily.  On  that  day,  her 
mother  was  not  at  home  when  I  called;  but  little 
Jennie  received  me  in  the  parlor  with  all  the 
dignity  and  propriety  of  twenty-five,  inquiring  if  I 
had  been  to  dinner,  and  learning  that  I  had  not, 
but  was  waiting  to  meet  an  engagement  by  the 
boat,  she  insisted  that  I  must  have  at  least  a  lunch 
before  leaving.  She  would  take  no  excuse  or  re- 
fusal, and  considerably  amused  and  pleased  at  her 
womanliness,  I  yielded  to  the  child's  request;  then 


RECOLLECTIONS.  343 

she  left  the  room,  asking  to  be  excused  for  a  mo- 
ment or  two,  and  returning,  invited  me  to  the 
dining  room,  where  was  spread  the  arrangements 
for  my  meal.  With  what  womanly  grace  she 
helped  me,  inquiring,  "Tea  or  coffee?"  "Cream 
and  sugar?"  and  went  through  the  etiquette  of  the 
table,  is  well  remembered;  and  how  she  waited  on 
me  to  the  door,  hoping  I  would  have  a  pleasant 
meeting,  and  come  again  soon,  when  mamma 
would  be  home,  etc.  Dear  little  Jennie!  We  laid 
the  fair  tenement,  in  which  she  had  dwelt  while 
here,  tenderly  away  in  the  grave;  but  we  knew  that 
the  spirit  of  the  child,  wise  above  her  years,  who 
had  so  often  sung  to  us  of  Jesus,  and  talked  of 
her  love  for  Him  who  had  died  for  sinners,  was  in 
His  presence,  who  hath  said,  "Their  angels  do 
always  behold  the  face  of  my  Father  which  is  in 
Heaven." 

Shortly  before  my  transfer  to  the  Min- 
nesota conference,  I  had  been  notified  that  I 
had  been  appointed  a  member  of  the  General  Mis- 
sion committee,  to  represent  the  conferences  of 
the  Northwest  for  the  next  four  years  and  which 
was  to  meet  in  November,  at  New  York.  And 
soon  after,  I  was  informed  that  the  members  of 
the  General  Mission  committee,  would  this  year, 
also  represent  the  church  in  the  "board  of  church 
extension,"  to  meet  in  Philadelphia.  Making  the 
most  satisfactory  arrangements  that  I  could  to 
have  my  pulpit  supplied  for  two  Sabbaths,  I  set  out 
for  New  York,  and  arrived  there,  early  in  Novem- 
ber, in  time  to  meet  the  committee,  having  stopped 


344  RECOLLECTIONS. 

at  Pittsburg  over  Sabbath;  also  spending  a  day  at 
Madison,  New  Jersey,  when  I  had  the  pleasure 
of  hearing  Rev.  Dr.  McClintock's  inaugural  ad- 
dress, and  was  present  at  the  opening  of  Drew 
Theological  seminary. 

I  had  been  informed  by  Rev.  David  Terry,  be- 
fore leaving  home,  that  while  in  New  York  I  was 
to  be  the  guest  of  Samuel  P.  Patterson,  Esq.,  of  61 
Third  street.  On  arriving  at  the  Methodist  Book 
concern,  200  Mullberry  street,  I  inquired  my  way 
to  61  Third  street.  Being  directed,  and  making' 
my  travel  soiled  person  slightly  more  presentable 
I  repaired  there  and  was  kindly  welcomed  by  Mrs. 
Patterson  to  the  hospitalities  of  that  Christian 
home.  In  the  afternoon  the  board  met  in  the  old 
Mission  Rooms,  opposite  the  "book  room." 
Present,  all  the  bishops;  Dr.  Darbin,  the  local 
board  of  ministers  and  laymen,  and  the  twelve 
delegates;  who  represented  the  several  districts  of 
the  church. 

Our  task  was  an  arduous  one;  the  whole  field, 
both  foreign  and  domestic,  was  to  be  reviewed,  and 
appropriations  made  for  the  coming  conference 
year.  Several  brethren  were  present  with  us  who 
had  been  sent  there  to  make  special,  pleas  for  their 
own  localities.  Among  these  was  Dr.  George,  of 
St.  Louis,  who  was  under  the  impression  that  all 
the  churches  owned  by  the  church,  South,  were  to 
be  handed  over  to  the  M.  E.  church;  and  that  at 
least  fifty  thousand  dollars  must  be  appropriated 
to  the  work  in  Missouri.  Between  myself  and  the 
doctor,  there  occurred  quite  a  friendly  contest. 


RECOLLECTIONS.  345 

I  succeeded  in  modifying  the  sum  claimed  for  his 
work,  to  about  one-half;  and  he  succeeded  in  re- 
ducing the  appropriation  asked  by  me  and  needed 
for  the  Minnesota  conference,  from  six  thousand 
to  four  thousand  dollars.  The  work  and  business 
of  the  committee  required  our  closest  attention  for 
about  a  week;  and  the  Sabbath  was  spent  by  the 
delegates  in  preaching  in  the  several  churches  o£ 
the  city  and  Brooklyn. 

On  the  following  Wednesday,  having  completed 
our  work  in  New  York,  we  hastened  to  Phila- 
delphia, to  meet  with  the  Board  of  Church  Exten- 
sion. I  had  greatly  enjoyed  my  stay  at  the  family 
of  my  kind  friends,  the  Pattersons.  The  children, 
of  whom  there  were  six,  were  especially  interest- 
ing. The  two  eldest  were  twins,  a  son  and 
daughter;  and  the  second  son,  Frank,  was  a  hand- 
some wide-awake  boy,  whose  heart,  as  well  as 
those  of  the  elder  children,  I  seemed  to  have  won 
by  telling  them  bear  stories.  I  here  met  also  Miss 
Harriet  A.  Duncan,  sister  of  Mrs.  Patterson,  who 
assisted  in  making  my  visit  agreeable;  and  who, 
on  the  Saturday  afternoon  before  my  leaving, 
kindly  accompanied  me  to  one  of  the  best  stores  of 
the  city,  where  we  selected  cloaks,  etc.,  for  my  wife 
and  daughter. 

At  Philadelphia  we  met,  for  the  first  time,  as  a 
Board  of  Church  Extension,  and  there  formu- 
lated plans  and  made  such  suggestions,  during  two 
days  of  thoughtful  and  prayerful  effort,  as  has 
resulted  in  making  this  grand  enterprise  take  rank 

23 


346  KEOOLLECTIONS. 

as  one  of  the  most  important  benevolences  of  our 
church. 

This  child  of  our  care  and  prayer,  has  needed 
much  nurture  during  these  intervening  twenty 
years.  It  has  not  reached  its  present  excellent 
maturity  without  having  had  many  a  struggle  with 
difficulty  and  acquiring  many  a  lesson  of  wisdom, 
.learned  only  by  suffering  and  experience.  But  I 
rejoice  in  its  accomplished  success,  and  am  thank- 
ful that  I  had  a  share  in  starting  it  on  its  upward 
course,  and  most  gladly  do  I  re-echo  the  chorus  of 
its  grand  assistant  secretary,  Chaplain  C.  C.  Mc- 
Cabe,  who  in  response  to  the  infidel  assumption 
that  Methodism  had  declined,  and  that  her 
churches  were  dying  or  dead,  telegraphed: 
"Praise  God  from  whom  all  blessings  flow! — we're 
building  two  a  day!" 

Business  over,- 1  hastened  back  to  my  work  and 
resumed  my  pastoral  and  pulpit  duties. 

The  war  kept  thundering  on.  Grant  was  before 
Petersburg.  Sherman  was  marching  from  "At- 
lanta to  the  sea."  Thomas  was  in  the  vicinity  of 
Nashville,  there  scattering  and  weakening  the 
forces  of  Hood.  Soon  came  news  of  the  great  de- 
cisive battle,  which  disposed  of  the  last  Rebel 
army  in  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi:  the  Battle 
of  Nashville.  We  heard  how  Generals  Smith 
and  Schofield  had  been  ordered  to  advance;  how 
they  had  dashed  forward  with  leveled  bayonets, 
and  high,  ringing  cheers,  on  the  Rebel  position ;  of 
the  short  but  frightful  work;  how  "the  hills 
shook  and  the  earth  trembled;  and  the  whole 


RECOLLECTIONS.  347 

field  was  like  the  sulphurous  and  gaping  mouth  of 
hell."  For  the  entire  Rebel  line  was  ablaze,  like 
a  sheet  of  fire;  in  half  an  hour  it  was  over  and 
the  Rebel  army  in  full  retreat. 

And  through  it  all  we  kept  on  praying  and  labor- 
ing; and  about  the  time  of  the  end  of  the  Christ- 
mas holidays  we  began  to  see  signs  of  a  revival. 
Then  we  commenced  a  series  of  meetings,  which 
continued  for  about  four  weeks,  and  resulted  in 
the  conversion  of  forty  souls,  and  a  great  increase 
of  zeal  and  faith  in  the  church. 

I  received,  during  these  meetings,  kind  and  effi- 
cient help  from  my  brethren,  Revs.  Hewson  and 
Griswold,  who  were  members  of  the  legislature, 
which  met  that  year  in  St.  Paul.  And  I  remem- 
ber that  during  the  last  week  of  our  meeting,  while 
enjoying  a  glorious  baptism  of  the  Spirit,  eight 
young  married  ladies,  whose  husbands  were  all,  I 
think,  in  the  army,  came  forward  as  seekers;  and 
were  each  happily  converted.  I  took  their  names 
and  hoped  to  be  able  to  help  and  encourage  them 
religiously.  Five,  however,  when  I  called  to  see 
them,  had  moved  away.  One  of  them  only,  I  met 
several  years  after,  and  she  was  still  a  happy 
Christian. 

In  April,  that  great  national  calamity,  the  assas- 
sination of  President  Lincoln,  fell  upon  us  like  the 
knell  of  doom.  When  the  first  telegram  announced 
the  fact,  the  people  of  St.  Paul,  in  common  with 
the  whole  nation,  seemed  dazed.  The  loss  itself 
was  great;  but  it  was  aggravated  by  the  dastardly 
manner  in  which  the  foul  deed  was  done.  There 


348  KECOLLECTIONS. 

is  some  degree  of  respect  due  to  a  man  who  donned 
the  grey  and  periled  or  lost  his  life  for  the  cause 
he  loved,  though  he  fought  in  a  bad  cause. 
But  for  the  miscreant,  who  lacked  the  courage 
to  meet  his  foes  on  the  battle-field,  nor  had 
the  magnanimity  to  even  attempt  to  adjust 
his  differences  on  the  "field  of  honor,"  but 
could  sneak  up  like  a  thief  and  murder  his  unsu- 
specting victim,  there  is  no  other  verdict  than  the 
universal  contempt  of  mankind. 

The  sad  occasion  was  soon  after  improved  in  our 
church  by  setting  forth  God's  ability  to  make  even 
the  wrath  of  man  to  praise  Him  and  the  remainder 
of  wrath  to  restrain.  Before  the  close  of  the  year, 
our  Sunday  school  had  quadrupled  in  numbers, 
and  our  membership  had  about  doubled.  But, 
although  this  was  encouraging,  yet  I  plainly  saw 
that  as  this  church  had  become  situated,  we  could 
scarcely  expect  to  make  much  permanent  growth. 
Large  and  elegant  churches  had  been  built  all 
around  ours.  The  population  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  was  chiefly  foreign,  and  supplied  with 
churches  of  their  own.  After  careful  considera- 
tion of  the  matter,  I  suggested  to  the  brethren  that 
under  the  circumstances  it  was  my  judgment  that 
the  time  had  come  for  us  to  sell  and  build  in  a 
more  promising  location.  But  the  few  who  were 
the  burden  bearers,  were  not  quite  ready  to  give 
up  the  old  location,  and  they  thought  that  it  would 
be  wiser  to  wait  before  making  a  change,  although 
assured  that  it  would  come  of  necessity  by  and  by. 

When   conference  came  I  told  the  authorities 


RECOLLECTIONS.  349 

that  I  wanted  a  larger  field,  and  was  appointed  to 
the  Bed  Wing  circuit.  This  permitted  us  to  return 
to  our  home,  and  gave  me  a  two  weeks'  circuit  with 
six  preaching  places,  all  to  be  filled  on  Sunday. 
The  work  was  later  enlarged  to  eight  appointments, 
to  be  filled  once  in  three  weeks.  We  had  several 
local  preachers  on  the  circuit;  so  a  plan  was  made 
out  on  the  English  pattern,  and  by  it  every  point 
had  preaching  on  Sunday,  and  the  work  went  on 
very  satisfactorily.  Every  one  of  these  points  was 
visited  with  a  revival  and  many  were  converted. 

During  the  summer  of  this  year,  I  had  arranged 
to  have  a  camp  meeting  held  on  some  land  which 
I  owned,  about  three  miles  from-  town,  and  which 
furnished  pleasant  shade  and  good  water.  This 
was  a  season  of  wonderful  power.  From  the  very 
beginning  of  our  meeting,  the  spirit  of  ear- 
nest prayer  and  mighty  faith  took  possession 
of  the  hearts  of  believers.  Very  many  were  bap- 
tized with  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  and  entered  into 
the  "rest  of  soul."  Backsliders  were  reclaimed 
and  about  sixty  were  converted.  Among  those 
who  were  converted,  was  my  own  little  Willie,  then 
about  eight  years  old.  He  came  to  me  soon  after 
and  asked  if  he  might  join  the  church.  He 
united  then  as  a  probationer;  was  duly  received 
into  full  connection;  and  has  since  by  a  consistent 
walk  adorned  the  doctrine  of  Christ.  And  he  is 
to-day  preaching  in  China,  the  everlasting  Gospel 
of  the  Son  of  God. 

Some  of  the  old  fashioned  style  of  conversions 
took  place  there.  Brother  Lewis  Johnson  was  so 


350  RECOLLECTIONS. 

overpowered  with  the  Spirit,  that  he  was  unable 
to  move  for  several  hours,  but  could  sing  and 
shout  and  praise,  which  he  did  lustily;  thank- 
ing God  that  although  he  could  not  use  his  limbs, 
he  could  use  his  tongue  to  praise  Him.  This 
good  brother,  a  Scandinavian  by  birth,  continues  one 
of  the  most  faithful  and  efficient  Christians.  He 
has  been  of  much  assistance  in  organizing  Sunday 
schools  in  Goodhue  county,  being  secretary  of  the 
Goodhue  County  Sunday  School  association. 

At  one  of  my  circuit  appointments,  lived  a  very 
estimable  family,  several  of  whose  members  be- 
longed to  the  Christian  or  Carnpbellite  church, 
and  who  were  quite  zealous  in  their  endeavors  to 
propagate  their  peculiar  tenets.  The  father  of 
this  family  had  asked  and  obtained  permission  to 
use  our  church  on  Sabbath  afternoons.  Things 
went  on  harmoniously  until  after  a  while  when  the 
preacher  took  occasion  to  make  telling  points,  in  his 
judgment,  against  the  teaching  and  discipline  of  the 
Methodist  church,  assailing  the  doctrine  of  justifi- 
cation by  faith  alone,  and  insisting  that  baptism 
by  immersion,  was  the  New  Testament  condition 
of  remission  of  sins,  and  the  only  way  of  salvation. 
I  thought  to  reply  to  this,  in  preaching  sometime 
when  at  that  place;  but  when  I  spoke  of  it,  to  the 
brethren,  they  rather  objected,  fearing  that  it 
might  make  ill  feeling  in  the  neighborhood.  But 
I  was  not  quite  satisfied  to  let  things  go  that  way; 
and  so  at  the  camp-meeting,  I  thought  that  as  it 
was  my  meeting  and  on  my  own  laiid,  at  a  suitable 


RECOLLECTIONS.  351 

time  I  would  say  what  I  believed  ought  to  be  said, 
on  this  subject. 

On  Sunday  morning  we  had  a  large  congrega- 
tion, and  our  Carnpbellite  friends  were  all  out.  I 
discoursed  for  an  hour  and  forty  minutes  on  the 
doctrine  of  "justification  by  fait,h"  as  God  gave 
me  ability.  During  this  discourse  the  arm  of  the 
Almighty  was  revealed,  setting  his.seal  to  the  truth. 
And  during  the  progress  of  the  meeting,  numbers 
were  lying  on  the  ground  like  dead  men  slain  in 
battle.  Additional  interest  was  given  to  the  exer- 
cises by  the  presence  of  a  large  number  of  Al- 
bright Germans,  whose  songs  and  shouts  in  Ger- 
man, added  more  ferver  to  the  exultant  chorus  of 
praise,  which  went  up  from  that  camp-ground  to 
Israel's  mighty  Savior.  At  the  conclusion  of  the 
sermon  above  alluded  to,  our  good  Campbellite 
brother  came  to  me  and  said: — 

"I  think  you  were  too  hard  on  us  in  your  sermon 
this  morning." 

"In  what  way,  my  brother?"  I  asked. 

"Why,  you  said  we  taught  that  baptism  was  the 
condition  of  salvation!" 

"No,  my  brother,"  I  replied,  "I  never  mentioned 
your  name  while  I  was  preaching!" 

"That  is  so;  but  you  meant  us  all  the  time!" 

"Don't  you  hold  that  doctrine?"  I  asked. 

"No:"  he  said  positively,  "we  do  not!" 

"Then,  my  friend,  I  did  not  mean  you,  for  I  was 
speaking  of  those  who  held  that  doctrine!" 

"Well,  but  you  did  mean  us,"  he  replied  warmly. 


352  EECOLLECTIONS. 

"You  meant  us,  and  we  hold  just  what  Peter  taught 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost!" 

"Bro.  L —  "  said  I,  "we  might  talk  this  over 
for  hours,  or  days  perhaps,  and  we  would  then  be 
no  nearer  to  agreeing  as  to  the  meaning  of  what 
Peter  said  than  we  are  now,  but  I  can  tell  you 
what  we  will  do:  I  hope  you  are  a  Christian;  and 
I  want  you  to  be  sure  and  gain  Heaven,  and  I  will 
strive,  by  the  help  of  the  Lord,  to  get  there  also. 
Now  when  we  both  find  ourselves  safe  in  the  Land 
of  Life,  and  have  become  somewhat  accustomed  to 
our  surroundings,  we  will  inquire,  'Where  can  we 
find  St.  Peter?'  And  when  we  have  found  him,  we 
will  seat  ourselves  under  the  leaves  of  the  Tree  of 
Life  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  Paradise  of  God, 
and  we  will  ask  him  to  tell  us  precisely  what  he 
did  mean,  by  that  statement  in  regard  to  baptism, 
which  has  caused  so  much  controversy  in  the 
church.  And  then  I  expect  we  will  agree."  To 
this  he  smilingly  assented. 

Bro.  L —  —  has  gone  and  I  am  still  here;  but  we 
have  that  appointment  in  the  future,  and  it  may 
yet  be  carried  out. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1865,  came  the  glad  news 
of  the  surrender  of  Lee  to  Grant,  and  the  entire 
discomfiture  of  the  Rebel  host  at  Appomattox.  A 
more  eventful  Sunday  than  this  never  dawned  on 
our  nation.  The  mighty  structure  of  Rebellion, 
which  had  organized  itself  to  withstand  the  colos- 
sal power  of  the  North,  and  had  attracted  to  it  the 
eyes  of  the  civilized  world,  suddenly  dissolved; 
leaving  only  the  record  of  daring  and  pride  and 


RECOLLECTIONS.  353 

folly,  and  the  sad  mementoes  of  the  most  terrible 
fratricidal  war  this  world  has  ever  witnessed. 

It  is  said  that  on  the  9th  of  April,  when  Grant 
received  the  letter  of  Lee,  surrendering  the  army 
of  northern  Virginia,  that  "he  hastened  to  the  front 
where  Lee  was  awaiting  him.  The  two  soldiers 
met  in  the  parlor  of  a  neighboring  brick  house, 
and  saluted  each  other  with  dignified  courtesy. 
Lee  presented  his  sword,  which  Grant  received, 
and  after  contemplating  it  a  moment  handed  it 
back,  saying:  'It  can  not  be  borne  by  a  braver 
man!'  The  scene  was  one  of  intense  interest. 
The  younger,  the  victor,  stood  there,  backed  by  a 
million  of  soldiers;  the  elder,  vanquished,  had  but 
the  fragment  of  a  disheartened  army  left  him. 
Long  years  before,  they  had  fought,  side  by  side, 
under  the  same  dear  old  flag;  for  the  last  year 
they  had  confronted  each  other  as  foes,  and  strug- 
gled to  overthrow  each  other  on  many  a  desper- 
ately contested  battle-field.  At  their  behest,  men, 
by  tens  of  thousands,  had  crowded  the  portals  of 
death,  and  the  track  behind  each  was  a  long  path- 
way of  blood." 

This  joyful  intelligence,  the  capitulation  of 
Lee,  was  quickly  followed  by  news  of  Johnson's 
surrender  to  Sherman,  and  the  close  of  the  war 
was  hailed  by  the  nation,  with  a  wealth  of  joy 
which  no  words  can  express. 

During  the  spring  and  summer,  the  boys  in  blue, 
our  hero  soldiers,  began  to  return  amid  the  wel- 
comes and  honors  which  a  grateful  nation  hastened 
to  bestow.  But  it  was  often  hard  to  distinguish,  as 


354  RECOLLECTIONS. 

they  reached  their  homes,  which  flowed  the  most 
freely,  the  tears  of  joy  for  those  who  returned,  or 
the  tears  of  sorrow  for  those  who  came  not.  And 
the  only  solace  left  to  many  an  aching  heart  was, 
in  remembering  that — 

"On  Fame's  eternal  camping  ground, 

Their  silent  tents  are  spread. 
And  Glory  guards  with  solemn  round 
The  bivouac  of  the  dead." 

The  grandeur  of  character,  manifested  by  Gen- 
eral Grant  at,  and  after  the  close  of  the  war,  added 
new  lustre  to  the  crown  of  fame  with  which  his 
brow  had  already  been  encircled.  With  unosten- 
tatious, manly  bearing  he  received  the  grateful 
praise  and  loving  gratitude  of  his  own  nation  and 
the  plaudits  of  the  world.  And  when  he  was 
nominated  for  the  presidency  of  the  nation,  which 
his  bravery  and  skill  under  God  had  preserved 
"one  united  people,"  with  what  thunders  of  unani- 
mous acclaim  he  was  once  and  again  elected. 

How  well  and  forcefully  and  yet  how  kindly  he 
filled  the  difficult  position  to  which  the  suffrages 
of  a  loyal  people  had  lifted  him,  history  will  one 
day  tell.  We  are  still  too  near  those  times  to  do 
him  justice.  Since  then  he  has  visited  the  courts 
of  every  potentate  on  our  globe,  where  civilization 
and  intelligence  have  established  a  government; 
and  his  march  around  the  world  was  like  the  chime 
of  constantly  swinging,  sweet-toned  bells,  which 
sounded  forth  his  honor,  his  fame  and  his  man- 
liness. But  he  has  been  the  same  honest, 
earnest,  unaffected,  high-souled  man.  In  the  hour 


RECOLLECTIONS.  355 

of  victory  and  glory,  meek;    and   in  the  hour  of 
adversity,  sublime. 

And  now,  as  I  write,  the  word  conies  that  Gen- 
eral Grant,  who  laid  down  his  sword  that  he  might 
at  his  country's  bidding  put  on  her  civic  crown, 
has  at  last,  by  act  of  congress,  been  restored  to  his 
rank  as  General.  Yet,  amid  the  gladness  with 
which  "Columbia  re-buckles  his  sword,"  comes  the 
sad,  sad  word  that  a  fatal  disease  is  on  him,  and 
that  very  soon  the  brave  hero  of  Donaldson,  of 
Shiloh,  of  Vicksburg,  of  the  Wilderness,  of  Peters- 
burg and  Appomattox;  great  in  war,  great  in  peace, 
and  great  in  the  love  of  his  countrymen — must  die! 
"Aye!  Write  that  name  grandly  once  more,  at  the  head 
Of  the  legions  his  genius  to  victory  led! 

Write  it  high,  where  the  sunrise  and  sunset  shall  slant 

Their  beams,  on  the  name  and  the  glory  of  Grant. 
While  from  ocean  to  ocean  a  continent  cheers 
Its  hero  to-day,  with  huzzas  and  with  tears!" 

While  in  the  summer  of  1865,  the  army  was  dis- 
banded, the  cavalry  was  still  kept  in  service.  And 
Brackett's  Battalion,  to  which  my  son  belonged,  was 
stationed  at  Clinton,  Iowa.  Early  the  following 
spring  they  were  ordered  to  Fort  Snelling  and 
mustered  out.  Joseph  had  been  then  in  the 
service  five  years.  Soon  after  his  return  home  he 
married  Miss  Loraine  Stetson,  of  Clinton,  Iowa, 
whose  acquaintance  he  had  formed  while  there  with 
his  battalion  the  winter  before;  and  he  shortly  after- 
wards engaged  in  farming  near  Red  Wing.  He  is 
now  in  business  in  Chicago. 

At  the  conference,  held  in  Ked  Wing,  1866, 
Bishop  Scott,  presiding,  I  was  sent  to  the  Winona 


356  RECOLLECTIONS. 

district.  This  was  a  large  field,  containing  nine- 
teen appointments,  extending  for  about  one  hund- 
red miles  along  the  southern  line  of  the  state,  and 
including  six  counties.  This  part  of  the  country 
was  mostly  prairie,  very  difficult  to  travel,  on 
account  of  deep  snows  in  the  winter  and  the  un- 
bridged  streams  in  the  spring  and  summer.  I  left 
my  family  in  our  home  at  Bed  Wing,  and  went  to 
my  work,  endeavoring(  so  to  plan  it  as  to  bring  me 
back  to  Red  Wing  about  once  in  four  weeks. 

The  charges  on  my  district  were: 

Winona,  William  McKinley;  Stockton,  W.  D. 
Bennett;  Plain  view,  W.  C.  Eice;  Elgin,  N.  Tainter; 
Marion,  B.  Blain;  Chatfield,  J.  R.  Carighton; 
Pleasant  Grove,  supplied;  Austin,  W.  Carver; 
Lansing,  W.  H.  Soule;  High  Forest,  W.  C.  Shaw; 
St.  Charles,  S.  N.  Phelps;  Spring  VaHey,  J.  G. 
Teter;  Preston,  J.  H.  White;  Money  Creek  and 
Rushford,  O.  P.  Light;  Pickwick,  —  Gates;  Cale- 
donia, J.  W.  Klepper;  Leonora  and  Eyota,  J- 
Lamberson;  Brownsville  and  Hokah,  J.  Door; 
La  Crescent,  H.  G.  Bilbie. 

The  Winona  district  was  my  first  in  the  Minne- 
sota conference,  State  of  Minnesota.  Of  the 
brethren  then  on  it,  W.  D.  Bennett,  J.  R.  Creigh- 
ton,  W.  Carver,  J.  H.  White,  O.  P.  Light,  have 
been  transferred.  W.  C.  Rice,  B.  Blain  and  S.  N. 
Phelps  are  superannuated.  William  McKinley  is 
at  present  stationed  at  Red  Wing.  A  sweefr  spir- 
ited,  gentle,  Christian  brother,  whose  intellectual 
culture  is  of  the  highest  order.  He  takes  rank  as 
one  of  the  best,  if  not  the  very  best,  pulpit  orators  in 


RECOLLECTIONS.  357 

our  conference.  But  his  chief  power  and  strength 
and  charm  lie  in  the  depth  and  richness  of  his 
own  personal  religious  experience.  He  has  known 
severe  affliction,  and  has  not  been  exempt  from  the 
trials  incident  to  the  life  of  an  itinerant;  but  these 
have  served  to  develop  in  him  the  grace  of  char- 
acter, which  comes  from  the  possession  of  "the 
mind  which  was  also  in  Christ  Jesus."  Bro.  Mc- 
Kinley  is  at  this  writing  having  a  revival  among 
the  young  people  of  his  church  and  Sunday  school, 
thirty  of  whom  rose  one  night  recently  for  prayer. 

W.  H.  Soule  is  at  present  on  the  Castle  Rock 
charge,  and  is  doing  good  earnest  work,  as  he 
always  does.  Bro.  Soule  is  a  clear,  practical, 
sensible  preacher,  and  a  kindly  contented  spirit, 
at  rest  with  himself  and  at  peace  with  his  brethren. 

John  Lamberson  is  at  Cleveland  on  the  Man- 
kato  district.  A  plain,  earnest  man,  who  has  had 
few  scholastic  advantages,  but  who  draws  from  his 
own  fellowship  with  the  Master,  and  from  the 
treasures  of  His  Word,  things,  both  new  and  old, 
in  such  rich  measure  that  he  is  a  successful 
preacher  and  a  good  pastor,  and  has  had  many 
souls  as  seals  to  his  ministry. 

J.  Door  is  at  Anoka,  and  is  doing  what  he  can 
to  build  up  the  church  in  that  city,  so  lately  de- 
vastated by  fire;  and  many  of  whose  members 
were  among  the  sufferers.  Bro.  Door  has  been 
characterized  as  "a  ruaii  who  always  leaves  a  charge 
in  better  condition  than  he  found  it."  He  has 
excellent  business  ability,  and  is  an  energetic 
worker,  a  good  preacher  and  a  faithful  pastor. 


358  RECOLLECTIONS. 

H.  G.  Bilbie  is  on  the  Sank  Centre  charge, 
Fergus  Falls  district.  13ro.  Bilbie  is  noted  as 
a  clear  thinker,  "a  workman  that  needeth  not 
to  be  ashamed"  in  handling  the  Word  of  God. 
Because  of  an  intense  desire  to  be  right,  and  a  very 
careful  circumspection  of  his  own  heart  and  life, 
he  is  not  naturally  tolerant  of  mistakes  in  others. 
He  is  a  noble  man,  who  has  overcome  many  diffi- 
culties, and  whose  "path  is  as  the  shining  light 
that  shineth  more  and  more  unto  the  perfect  day." 
His  only  daughter,  his  Esther,  now  Mrs.  Lewis,  of 
the  West  China  mission,  he  has  given  to  the 
church  and  the  work  of  the  Lord,  in  that  far-off 
field,  with  the  spirit  of  a  martyr.  Bro.  Bilbie  seems 
to  breathe,  in  all  his  ways,  the  spirit  which  ani- 
mated the  great  apostle,  when  he  said:  "Yea 
doubtless,  and  I  count  all  things  but  loss  for  the 
excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus,  my 
Lord." 

J.  W.  Klepper  is  stationed  at  Hutchinson. 
Blest  with  a  royal  physique,  a  good  preacher  and  an 
earnest  man,  he  takes  rank  as  one  who  during  his 
ministry  has  added  hundreds  to  the  church. 

J.  G.  Teter,  now  serving  his  third  year  at  Simp- 
son church,  Minneapolis,  was  then  in  his  earlier 
ministry.  A  true  hearted,  earnest  laborer  in  his 
Master's  vineyard.  Bro.  Teter  has  made  a  good 
record  in  the  conference;  and  has  been  a  success- 
ful preacher  of  the  Word  of  Life.  There  are  none 
among  the  brethren  entitled  to  more  confidence 
and  respect  for  his  work's  sake,  than  he.  Two 
brothers,  Gates  and  Shaw,  have  left  our  ranks 


RECOLLECTIONS.  359 

here,  for  the  better  land.  Of  Bro.  Gates'  death  I 
have  no  particulars.  BjrojShaw_had  a  triumphant 
departure,  a  fitting  ending  to  his  saintly  life. 

Before  I  had  quite  finished  the  first  round  on 
ray  district,  it  was  necessary  for  me  to  meet  the 
General  Mission  board  in  New  York,  which  I  did 
early  in  November.  I  was  again,  by  special  invi- 
tation, the  guest,  for  the  third  time,  of  my  friends 
S.  P.  Patterson  and  family;  and  spent  a  week 
with  them  in  the  intervals  of  our  business  sessions ;- 
as  I  had  also  done  the  November  preceding  this 
visit. 

The  responsibilities  of  the  board  were  such  that 
it  required  the  greatest  care  and  much  wisdom  in 
making  the  appropriations  and  arranging  the  mis- 
sion field;  the  foreign  and  domestic  work  having 
greatly  enlarged.  Bishop  Janes  was  at  this  time 
especially  desirous  that  steps  should  be  taken  to- 
ward opening  a  mission  in  Paris,  France.  For  this 
purpose  and  that,if  possible,an  appropriation  should 
be  made  for  it,  he  plead  earnestly  and  forcibly. 
But  the  majority  of  the  board,  though  acknowledg- 
ing the  great  need  of  thoroughly  evangelizing 
France,  could  not  adopt  the  bishop's  views,  nor 
arrange  to  establish  a  mission  field  there  at  that 
time. 

On  Sabbath  morning  I  preached  on  the  west 
side  of  the  city  in  Janes'  street  church,  I  think, 
and  in  the  evening,  in  company  with  Dr.  Wm. 
Butler,  then  lately  returned  from  India,  assisted 
in  holding  a  missionary  meeting  at  Hanson  Place 


360  RECOLLECTIONS. 

church,  Brooklyn,  where  a  good  collection  was 
taken  and  an  excellent  impression  made. 

Returning  home,  I  resumed  my  district  work, 
finishing  up  my  first  round;  and  then  remaining 
two  nights  and  one  day  there,  and  leaving  all  in 
apparent  health,  started  off  on  Thursday  morn- 
ing before  daylight. 

The  snow  was  falling  fast  as  I  set  out  with  a 
two-horse  sleigh.  Those  who  are  familiar  with 
the  route  traveled  from  Red  Wing  to  Marion, 
thence  to  Pleasant  Grove,  High  Forest,  Lansing 
and  Austin,  will  have  some  idea  of  this  trip.  The 
snow  was  more  than  two  feet  deep  on  a  level; 
badly  drifted  on  the  prairies,  and  the  thermometer, 
from  ten  to  thirty-five  degrees  below  zero.  It  was 
simply  awful.  And  when  I  started  out  from  High 
Forest  to  Lansing,  sixteen  miles,  across  a  prairie 
with  a  stretch  of  twelve  miles  in  which  there  was 
not  a  house,  I  had  some  misgivings  as  to  the  pos- 
sibility of  getting  through.  But  committing  my 
way  to  Him,  who  had  led  me  through  so  many 
dangers,  and  with  a  desperate  eff ort  breaking  my 
way  again  and  again,  shoveling,  and  wallowing 
through  drifts,  after  a  good  deal  of  suffering,  I 
reached  Lansing. 

On  Sabbath  I  held  the  quarterly  meeting  at 
Austin;  returned  in  the  evening  to  the  home  of 
Kev.  W.  Carver,  and  about  ten  o'clock  was  prepar- 
ing to  retire,  when  my  son  Joseph  arrived,  and  in- 
formed me,  that  on  the  Wednesday  before,  January 
23d,  my  dear  wife  had  died  of  apoplexy. 

Those  only  who  have  been  as  suddenly  bereft, 


RECOLLECTIONS.  361 

by  whom  the  shock  has  been  as  little  anticipated; 
and  those  who  have  drained  the  same  bitter  cup, 
can  only  tell  what  were  my  feelings  in  that  hour 
of  anguish.  As  the  memory  of  that  night  of  sor- 
row comes  to  me,  I  can  still  only  refer  to  my 
grief  in  the  words  of  the  Psalmist:  "I  was 
dumb  with  silence  because  Thou  didst  it." 

We  had  parted  some  ten  days  before  in  the  early 
morning,  each  in  apparent  health,  and  with  smiles 
and  cheerful  words  had  said  "good  bye."  We 
had  been  married  nearly  thirty-three  years.  My 
dear  wife  had  been  a  member  of  the  church 
for  some  time  before  we  were  united, 
and  when  we  were  married  she  expected 
to  be  a  farmer's  wife.  But  she  bore  the 
burdens  and  responsibilities  of  an  itinerant  Meth- 
dist  preacher's  wife,  willingly  and  to  the  best  of 
her  ability.  Almost  the  last  work  of  her  life  was 
to  visit  her  pastor,  Dr.  Cyrus  Brooks,  and  arrange 
with  him  for  a  woman's  prayer  meeting  to  be  held 
in  the  parlors  of  the  M.  E.  church.  Her  faith  in 
Christ  was  abiding  and  she  never  deviated  from 
her  purpose  of  living  a  Christian  life.  Four  of 
our  little  ones  had  preceded  her  to  the  better  land; 
two  of  whom  she  had  laid  away,  alone,  during  my 
absence  at  •conference.  It  has  been  no  small  con- 
solation for  me,  since  her  death,  to  think  of  her 
as  being  with  the  children  whom  she  loved  and 
lost  so  early,  safely  housed  in  our  Father's  home 
of  many  mansions. 

My  son  had  worn  out  two  horses  in  his  efforts  to 
reach  me  on  horseback.  These  must  be  returned. 

24 


362  RECOLLECTIONS. 

So  with  an  additional  fall  of  eight  inches  of  snow, 
we  set  out  with  a  horse  to  lead,  and  on  Wednesday 
reached  Bed  Wing. 

Here  I  found  that  kind  friends  had  made  all 
needful  preparations  for  the  funeral;  and  the  next 
day  my  dear  wife  was  laid  away  in  the  Bed  Wing 
cemetery  to  await  "the  resurrection  of  the  just." 

Changes  in  all  our  home  plans  must  now  be 
made.  My  daughter  was  attending  the  university 
and  my  Willie  was  at  school.  I  made  such  ar- 
rangements for  their  comfort  as  I  could,  without 
interrupting  their  studies;  rented  my  house,  sent 
my  furniture  out  to  my  son,  on  the  farm,  and  in 
three  weeks  was  on  my  district  again,  sadly  con- 
scious of  my  loneliness,  and  the  breaking  up  of 
my  home  and  its  associations. 

I  found  that  the  pressing  work,  which  necessari- 
ly occupied  my  time  and  thought,  was  a  great 
blessing  to  me.  The  revivals  which  soon  began  on 
almost  every  charge  of  the  district,  engaged  my 
constant  attention  and  interest,  and  were  very 
beneficial  to  me.  So  God  graciously  helped  me. 

In  this  connection  I  very  gratefully  recall  the 
sympathy  and  helpfulness  of  my  brethren,  and  the 
kindness  with  which  the  good  sisters  attended  to 
my  washing  and  mending,  and  saw  to  it  that  I 
should  not  suffer  for  lack  of  care. 

In  the  spring  I  returned  to  Red  Wing,  and  while 
visiting  the  children,  was  entertained  at  the  home 
of  my  good  friend  and  neighbor,  Mr.  Wm.  Howe. 
Again  arranging  for  my  daughter  and  son,  as  the 
summer  vacation  was  at  hand,  I  sent  Willie  out  to 


BEOOLLECTIONS.  363 

remain  with  his  brother  on  the  farm,  and  took 
Mary  with  me  on  the  district.  We  both  enjoyed 
this  change;  to  her  it  was  like  seeing  a  new  world, 
everything  was  strange  and  bright,  and  her  joyous- 
ness  and  company  were  a  cheery  relief  to  me. 

The  summer  passed.  I  was  occupied  with  quar- 
terly meetings  every  Saturday  and  Sabbath;  many 
week  day  meetings  and  a  camp-meeting  at  Pleasant 
Grove.  During  this  meeting,  at  which  many  found 
the  Lord,  Bro.  Teter  became  greatly  interested  for 
the  salvation  of  a  friend,  whose  wife  was  a  member 
of  his  charge.  This  was  a  man  of  considerable 
intelligence,  and  sufficiently  convicted  to  know  and 
do  his  duty ;  but  he  could  not  be  persuaded  to 
come  out  squarely  and  commence  a  religious  life. 
He  was  a  good  singer;  delighted  in  helping  in  that 
part  of  our  religious  service,  and  was  always  very 
kind  and  friendly.  Before  preaching  on  Sunday 
evening,  Bro.  Teter  had  invited  him  into  the  altar 
to  help  him  in  a  song  service  before  the  sermon. 
Soon  the  altar  and  all  the  seats  were  filled  by  the 
large  congregation,  and  he  became  uneasy  at  being 
in  just  that  location  during  the  preaching;  but  Bro. 
Teter  persuaded  him  to  remain  where  he  was. 

The  Lord  helped  me  in  the  sermon,  and  the 
exhortation  which  followed  was  with  power.  When 
seekers  were  invited  forward,  again  Mr.  Teter' s 
friend  rose  to  get  away;  but  he  found  he  could  not 
move.  His  strength  was  gone!  He  made  another 
effort  to  rise;  but  he  could  not,  and  then  he  sank 
on  his  knees  and  began  to  pray  most  earnestly. 
In  about  twenty  minutes  he  lay  perfectly  helpless, 


364  BECOLLECTIONS. 

and  apparently  unconscious.  He  remained  thus 
until  after  the  close  of  the  meeting,  perhaps,  in  all, 
three  hours;  then  he  came  out,  one  of  the  happi- 
est of  men.  I  heard  of  him  several  years  after- 
wards, living  a  faithful  Christian. 

During  this  summer,  the  rains  were  very  heavy 
and  the  creeks  and  rivers  unusually  high,  especial- 
ly in  Mower  county,  which  included  the  head 
waters  of  the  Root  and  Cedar  rivers  But  by  ford- 
ing, swimming  and  driving  around,  I  succeeded  in 
reaching  every  appointment. 

The  year  on  the  whole  was  a  prosperous  one. 
We  had  made  advancement  in  every  department 
of  church  work  and  life,  and  had  a  considerable 
number  added  to  the  church. 


RECOLLECTIONS.  365 


CHAPTEE  XXIII. 

OkUB  conference  met  at  Rochester;  Bishop  Simp- 
^~  son,  presiding.  Rev.  T.  M.  Eddy  was  with 
us,  and  he  never  preached  better  than  he  did  then. 
It  was  a  time  of  such  moral  power,  as  few  towns  or 
conferences  have  witnessed  or  enjoyed. 

The  bishop  preached  on  Sunday  as  only  Bishop 
Simpson  could  preach;  and  the  entire  city  felt  the 
influence  of  it.  The  text  was,  Matt.  XXVIII.,  16-18. 
It  was  a  wonderful  discourse.  The  tide  of  sym- 
pathy in  the  heart  of  the  bishop  broke  in  streams 
and  eddies  and  waves  over  the  hearts  of  his  hear- 
ers. His  main  thought  was  the  supervision  which 
God  exercises  over  the  affairs  of  this  world:  over 
good  men  and  evil  men,  and  making  all  things 
work  out  the  good  purpose  and  pleasure  of  His 
will. 

We  were  occupying,  on  that  Sunday,  a 
large  hall,  built  by  a  Mr.  Haney.  Some  of  the 
lower  part  was  used  as  a  saloon,  and  the  large 
room  in  which  the  bishop  spoke  (the  only  availa- 
ble place  to  be  had  in  the  city),  had  been  intended 
for  anything  but  sacred  purposes.  Among  the 
bishop's  illustrations,  when  speaking  of  how  the 
wickedness  of  wicked  men  could  be  overruled  for 


366  RECOLLECTIONS. 

good,  he  said:  "The  gentleman  who  built  this  hall 
did  not  intend  by  it  to  assist  in  the  spread  of  the 
gospel  of  the  Son  of  God.  But  see  how  it  is  made 
to  serve  the  purpose  of  our  God.  See  how  are 
gathered  in  it  those  whose  souls  are  drinking  in, 
this  day,  the  water  of  life.  Here  it  is,  ready  for 
us  to  use  in  the  service  of  God." 

The  afternoon,  at  the  ordination  of  elders,  was 
the  time  of  greatest  power.  Our  hearts  had  been 
already  mightily  moved.  Everybody  was  in  a 
tender  mood,  when  the  bishop,  at  the  conclusion 
of  the  service,  turned  to  the  choir,  a  very  fine  one, 
and  which  had  rendered  the  music  in  a  superior 
spirit  and  style,  and  addressed  them  in  the  most 
pathetic  and  eloquent  manner.  Among  other 
touching  things  which  he  said,  after  complimenting 
them  on  the  delightful  singing  they  had  given  us, 
he  inquired  if  they  could  consent  that  such 
powers  should  be  employed  in  anything  less  than 
the  service  of  God.  Words  cannot  picture  the 
scene  of  that  hour:  the  choir  in  tears;  the  great 
audience  all  broken  down;  the  brethren  some  of 
them  so  overcome  with  emotion,  that  they 
could  only  sob;  others,  among  whom  was  our  Bro. 
Bolles,  lying  down  in  an  extacy  of  love  and  praise; 
the  bishop,  his  whole  soul  filled  with  sympathy 
and  earnest  effort  to  lead  those  young  people  to 
Christ,  pleading  with  them  to  yield  their  lives  to 
the  glorious  service  of  their  God;  telling  them  that 
by  and  by,  if  faithful,  with  the  great  host  of 
the  redeemed,  they,  too,  should  come  home  "with 
songs  and  everlasting  joy"  upon  their  heads! 


RECOLLECTIONS.  367 

I  was  at  this  conference  elected,  for  the  fifth 
time,  a  delegate  to  the  General  conference,  which 
was  to  meet  at  Chicago,  May,  1868.  I  returned  to 
my  work  on  the  district  for  the  second  year;  and 
was  busily  employed  until  the  time  for  the  meet- 
ing of  the  mission  board  at  New  York,  in  Novem- 
ber. Again  we  devoted  our  best  energies  to  the 
broadening  mission  fields.  Africa,  especially  the 
work  as  it  had  been  prosecuted  in  Liberia,  was  a 
matter  of  serious  consideration.  The  Scandina- 
vian mission  had  assumed  such  conditions,  particu- 
larly the  church  building  in  Copenhagen,  as  need- 
ed great  care  in  its  adjustment.  The  claims  of 
France  as  a  mission,  came  up,  and,  on  the  whole, 
we  put  in  nearly  a  week  of  about  as  earnest  an  ef- 
fort in  the  supervision  of  our  great  church  enter- 
prise as  we  knew  how. 

Again  I  was  the  guest  of  my  friends,  the  Patter- 
sons; with  whom  by  this  time  I  had  come  to  feel 
myself  an  old  acquaintance,  having  shared  the 
hospitalities  of  their  pleasant  home  for  four  years 
in  succession. 

This  was  my  last  attendance  as  a  member  of  the 
mission  board.  And  in  reviewing  the  work  of  my  , 
four  years'  connection  with  it,  I  congratulate  my- 
self in  having  been  able  to  place  the  claims  of  the 
great  Northwest,  before  that  body,  more  fully, 
than  they  had  been  before.  And  as  a  consequence, 
the  appropriation  to  the  Minnesota  conference  had 
been  increased  from  twenty -five  hundred,  in  1863, 
to  seven  thousand,  in  1867.  And  the  appropria- 
tion to  the  "Northwest  Wisconsin,"  from  a  mere 


368  EECOLLECTIONS. 

nominal  sum,  to  an  amount  corresponding  with  the 
necessities  of  the  work. 

All  the  conferences,  which  I  had  the  honor  of 
representing  in  that  board,  had  their  interests 
carefully  attended  to,  and  their  appropriations 
were  increased.  This  was  in  part  owing  to  the  in- 
crease in  population,  which  demanded  the  extra 
appropriations;  but  I  also  may  claim,  and  justly, 
I  think,  that  the  fact  that  the  great  district 
which  included  the  Northwest  was,  for  those  four 
years,  represented  by  a  man  who  knew  its  needs; 
and  who  had  himself  been  at  the  beginning  of  our 
Methodism  in  the  frontier  states  and  territories; 
had  also  a  share  in  the  increased  appropriations 
which  they  then  received,  and  of  which  they  still 
share  the  benefits. 

After  returning  from  New  York,  I  commenced 
at  once  to  assist  the  brethren  in  the  protracted 
meetings,  which  soon  began  to  gladden  every 
charge.  I  had  held  the  quarterly  meeting  at 
Money  creek,  and  was  coming  to  Winona  to  hold 
my  meeting  there.  In  order  to  do  so,  had  to  ride 
over  the  "high  ridge."  It  was  one  of  the  bleakest, 
coldest,  dampest  days  of  January.  I  became 
thoroughly  chilled,  and  on  reaching  Winona,  after 
a  ride  of  about  fifteen  miles,  I  was  conscious  that 
I  had  taken  cold,  and  was  ill.  I  was  being  enter- 
tained at  the  house  of  my  friend  and  brother,  M. 
G.  Norton,  Esq.,  and  telling  him  that  I  feared  I 
was  going  to  be  sick,  requested  permission  to  re- 
tire to  my  room,  and  also  that  I  might  have  a  tub 
of  hot  water  and  a  little  tincture  of  lobelia.  All 


RECOLLECTIONS.  369 

these  were  readily  granted,  and  very  much  more. 
After  four  days  of  good  nursing  and  of  as  deter- 
mined an  effort  as  I  could  make,  with  vigorous 
applications  of  hot  water,  I  was  able  to  leave  my 
room,  and  was  pronounced  convalescent. 

I  was  the  recipient  then,  as  I  have  frequently 
been  since,  of  many  kindnesses  from  Bro.  Matthew 
Norton.  And  to  both  the  brothers,  James  L.  and 
M.G.Norton,  and  their  excellent  wives,  I  am  under  a 
debt  of  gratitude,  which  has  been  accumulating 
with  almost  every  year  of  our  acquaintance,  and 
which,  I  fear,  I  shall  never  be  able  to  repay.  In- 
deed, as  business  men,  as  Christian  gentlemen,  as 
loyal  Methodists,  as  exemplars,  "in  their  inter- 
course with  others,  of  the  "Golden  Rule,"  as  fol- 
lowers of  whatsoever  things  are  true,  honest,  just, 
pure,  lovely,  and  of  good  report,  these  dear  breth- 
ren, in  whose  hearts  and  homes  the  peace  of  God 
reigns,  are  my  model  men.  They  are  also  pillars 
of  the  church,  and  the  supporters  and  upholders 
of  every  thing  that  is  good.  In  these  two  brothers 
the  ministers  of  our  church  have  always  had  help- 
ful, encouraging  friends;  the  poor  and  the  needy, 
generous  assistants.  They  have  built,  with  their 
own  means,  the  M.  E.  church,  Wesley  chapel,  at 
the  southern  part  of  the  city  of  Winona.  And 
these  liberal  souled  brothers  have  also  maintained 
preaching  and  a  .  preacher  at  Beef  Slough, 
Wisconsin;  at  which  place  they  have  large  lumber 
interests.  And  at  this  point  also,  they  have  built 
a  church.  And  as  these  Christian  men  have 
honored  God  with  their  substance  and  in  their 


3  70  RECOLLECTIONS. 

lives,  so  has  He  honored  them  and  blessed  them 
abundantly.  Sons  and  daughters  are  growing  up 
around  them,  who  are  in  the  church,  and  who  bid 
fair  to  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  their  fathers  and 
jnothers,  serving  God,  and  living  useful,  honorable 
lives. 

Having  sufficiently  recovered,  I  resumed  the 
second  round  on  my  district.  When  it  came  to 
the  Winona  quarterly  meeting,  which  as  usual 
there,  was  an  excellent  one,  the  friends  requested 
me  to  remain  with  them  a  few  days.  I  agreed  on 
condition  that  the  meeting  would  be  continued. 
This  was  done  and  I  remained  and  preached. 

On  Monday  evening  after  the  sermon,  Bro.  Mc- 
Kinley  took  charge,  and  as  I  supposed,  to  conduct 
a  prayer  meeting.  To  my  astonishment  he  went 
to  a  table  in  the  altar,  and  uncovering  it,  began 
to  address  me,  saying  that  the  preachers  and 
friends  in  the  district,  as  an  expression  of  their 
regard  and  confidence,  had  requested  him  to 
present  me  with  the  American  Encyclopaedia — 
twenty-one  elegant  quarto  volumes,  bound  in  calf. 
This  valuable  gift  was  highly  appreciated  by  me 
for  its  own  worth;  but  it  was  still  more  valuable  as 
an  expression  of  kindness  and  good  will  from 
those  with  whom  I  had  labored. 

In  attending  the  four  General  conferences,  from 
1852  to  1864,  with  many  others  the  conviction 
was  strong  in  my  mind,  that  something  ought  to  be 
done  to  relieve  that  body  from  the  care,  responsi- 
bility and  loss  of  time,  involved  in  the  hearing  and 
determining  of  the  many  appeals,  which  had  come 


RECOLLECTIONS.  371 

up,  and  would  be  likely  to  come  up,  during  each 
quadrennial;  also  so  to  arrange  as  to  avoid  the 
great  injustice  done  an  appellant,  in  being  virtually 
suspended  from  the  ministry  (as  had  occurred  in 
several  cases),  for  nearly  four  years  before  an  ap- 
peal could  be  tried.  And  still  further,  to  perfect 
our  judicial  system,  that  there  was  need  of  an 
arrangement  by  which  a  bishop  might  have  a  trial 
and  an  appeal  in  case  of  accusation. 

To  meet  these  defects  in  our  ecclesiastical  polity, 
I  originated  and  published,  in  the  "Christian  Ad- 
vocate," in  March,  1868,  substantially  what  now 
relates  to  the  subjects  alluded  to,  with  only  this 
slight  difference:  that  those  who  are  now  in  the 
Discipline  called  "triers  of  appeals,"  were  named 
in  my  plan,  "judicial  delegates."  When  the  Gen- 
eral conference  met  at  Chicago,  this  subject  was 
taken  up  by  the  "committee  on  revivals,"  and  after 
being  most  thoroughly  scrutinized  by  Revs.  Merrill, 
of  Ohio,  and  Hester,  of  Indiana,  was  reported  to 
the  conference  and  published  in  the  "Daily  Advo- 
cate." When  it  came  to  be  acted  on,  however,  it 
lacked  a  few  votes  of  becoming  a  law,  greatly  to 
my  regret.  But  four  years  after,  in  1872,  Dr. 
Miley  took  up  the  report;  made  a  few  alterations, 
and  secured  its  adoption  by  the  General  confer- 
ence, much  to  our  advantage.  And  while  a  few 
have  since  thought  that  this  could  be  amended, 
yet  it  has  for  twelve  years  met  its  requirements 
fairly,  and  its  defects  have  not  yet  suggested  the 
need  of  change. 

This  was  about  my  last  work  for  the  church,  in 


372  RECOLLECTIONS. 

the  line  of  legislation.  And  it  is  a  source  of  glad- 
ness and  gratitude,  that  I  have  been  able,  in  any 
measure,  to  add  to  the  greater  success  and  effi- 
ciency of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  the 
grandest  organization  of  the  ages,  and  to  whose 
service  I  would  gladly  give  another  fifty  years  of 
labor,  if  I  could. 

On  the  29th  of  April,  1868,  I  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Harriet  A.  Duncan,  of  New  York, 
by  Rev.  David  Terry,  D.  D.,  at  the  residence  of 
her  brother-in-law,  S.  P.  Patterson,  Esq.  My  wife 
accompanied  me  to  the  General  conference  at 
Chicago,  and  while  there,  we  were  entertained  at 
the  home  of  my  old  and  valued  friends,  William 
Wheeler  and  wife.  We  had  also  the  pleasure  of 
making  the  acquaintance  of  Rev.  Morley  Punshon, 
who  was  likewise  the  guest  of  Brother  and  Sister 
Wheeler. 

Dr.  Punshon  was  a  delegate  to  the  General  con- 
ference from  the  Wesleyan  Methodist  church  of 
England.  His  address  before  the  conference,  on 
being  introduced,  will  never,  I  think,  be  forgotten 
by  those  who  heard  it.  Its  clear  and  elegant  dic- 
tion, its  sweet,  brotherly  spirit,  its  entire  absence 
of  everything  like  assumption,  and  its  masterful 
eloquence,  as  well  as  scholarly  oratory,  made  it  a 
very  "gem  of  beauty  and  a  joy  forever."  We  also 
had  the  pleasure  of  hearing  him  deliver  his  lecture 
on  "Daniel,"  in  the  opera  house,  before  an  im- 
mense audience.  In  this  he  established,  still 
further,  his  reputation  among  us,  as  a  very  prince 
of  orators. 


RECOLLECTIONS.  373 

The  status  of  delegates,  representing  Mission 
conferences,  which  had  been  formed  at  the  South, 
occupied  considerable  time  and  called  forth  earnest 
discussion,  during  the  first  days  of  our  session. 
This  was  settled  by  their  admission.  Then  came 
up  the  question  of  lay  delegation,  which,  at  the 
request  of  the  laymen  themselves,  had  been  settled 
in  the  negative  by  the  conference  of  1860.  But  the 
agitation  had  been  kept  up  mostly  by  the  news- 
papers, especially  "The  Methodist;"  so  that  while  it 
was  apparent  that  the  laity  were  indifferent  on  the 
subject  and  that  the  interest  in  the  movement  was 
kept  up  by  the  ministry,  many  of  whom  saw  or 
thought  they  saw,  great  advantages  to  be  derived 
from  it — yet  it  must  needs  be  brought  up  for  action 
again. 

Many,  many  speeches  were  made,  good,  bad  and 
indifferent.  Some  put  forth  their  first  attempts  in 
the  conference  on  this  subject,  and  some  debated 
it,  who  had  already  won  many  a  well  fought  battle 
on  that  field.  Among  those  who  obtained  the  floor, 
and  attempted  to  make  an  address,  was  Peter  Cart- 
wright.  But  it  could  not  be  done;  his  age  and  in- 
firmities obliged  him  to  desist.  There  was  some- 
thing more  than  pathetic,  about  this  last  public 
effort  of  this  old  hero.  Laboring  under  the  weight 
of  years,  tremulous  and  yet  eager  to  lead  where  he 
had  so  often  led  before,  staff  in  hand,  his  eyes 
bright,  the  soul  life  unabated,  but  the  fleshy  taber- 
nacle so  decayed,  that  neither  voice  nor  strength 
would  obey  the  will  of  the  aged  veteran. 

After  hearing  all  sides  of  the  question,  provision 


374  EECOLLECTIONS. 

was  made  for  taking  the  vote  of  the  church  on  lay 
delegation,  and  as  there  never  had  been  any  serious 
opposition  to  it,  it  was  readily  incorporated  into 
our  economy.  This  change  has  been  in  operation 
for  about  twelve  years,  and  of  it  we  can  affirm  that 
it  has  done  no  harm.  We  can  also  assert,  just  as 
truly,  that  about  the  greatest  good  it  has  accom- 
plished is  that  in  has  ended  agitation  on  the  sub- 
ject and  kept  hobby  riders  in  the  church,  quiet  for 
a  time. 

If  liberality  to  the  benevolences  of  the  church 
had  been  increased,  or  if  revivals  had  become  more 
frequent,  thorough,  and  further  reaching  in  their 
influences,  if  a  higher  standard  of  personal  piety 
in  the  membership,  or  greater  efficiency  in  the 
ministry  had  prevailed  since  its  adoption,  then  it 
might  be  admitted  that  the  measure  of  lay  dele- 
gation was  what  its  advocates  claimed  it  would  be 
— of  untold  advantage  to  the  church. 

There  was  some  idea  that  the  requirements  of 
our  Methodism  would  necessitate  the  election  of 
two  or  three  additional  bishops  at  this  conference; 
but  the  report  of  the  committee  on  "Episcopacy," 
in  accordance  with  the  judgment  of  the  bishops, 
was  that  the  present  number  could  meet  the  de- 
mands of  the  church  for  the  next  four  years. 
This  was  a  case  in  which  it  would  seem  that  the 
spirit  of  prophecy  did  not  rest  upon  the  church ; 
for  at  the  end  of  the  next  four  years,  three  of  the 
bishops  were  in  their  graves,  and  the  remaining 
five,  nearly  ready  to  drop  into  theirs,  from  the 
amount  of  extra  labor  they  had  performed,  and  the 


RECOLLECTIONS.  375 

tremendous  strain  they  had  endured,  in  their  own 
work. 

During  the  conference  we  spent  a  Sabbath  at 
Jacksonville,  and  were  the  guests  of  my  old  and 
tried  friends,  Judge  Thomas,  and  wife.  I 
preached  in  the  same  old  church,  in  which  I  had 
been  stationed,  twenty-five  years  before,  and  also  in 
the  New  Westside  church.  In  the  evening  I  met 
very  many  of  my  former  friends  and  we  rejoiced 
together.  But  the  quarter  of  a  century  had  made 
such  changes  that  there  was  to  me  an  undertone  of 
sadness,  and  a  missing  of  the  old,  accustomed  faces 
and  places,  which  impressed  me  with  an  unwonted 
consciousness  of  our  mortality,  and  the  transitori- 
ness  of  earthly  things.  I  met  here  also  my  dear 
friends,  Wm.  C.  Stribbling  and  wife;  but  found 
them  feeble  and  only  the  shadows  of  their  former 
vigorous  selves.  Bro.  Stribbling  died  not  long 
after. 

Dr.  T.  M.  Eddy  was  nominated  as  secretary  of 
the  Church  Extension  society,  by  a  large  ma- 
jority, in  a  caucus  held  by  the  western  delegates. 
But  he  refused  to  allow  his  name  to  be  used,  when 
it  came  to  be  voted  on,  and  Dr.  Kynett  was  elected 
to  that  position. 

Dr.  J.  M.  Keid,  who  had  successfully  edited  the 
"Western  Christian  Advocate,"  was  elected  editor 
of  the  "Northwestern  Christian  Advocate,"  and 
Dr.  B.  F.  Crary,  editor  of  the  "Central  Advocate." 
A  few  more  changes  were  made,  items  of  unfinish- 
ed business  taken  up,  and  the  Fifteenth  General 
conference  of  the  M.  E.  church  closed;  the  dele- 


376  RECOLLECTIONS. 

gates  separated;  the  bishops  departed  to  their 
duties;  never  more  all  to  meet  again  on  earth. 

We  were  soon  en  route  for  Pied  Wing. 
After  seeing  the  children  we  started  off  with  colts 
and  buggy  for  the  district.  Mrs.  Hobart,  who  had 
known  nothing  of  country  life,  found  the  ex- 
perience of  the  next  five  months  rather  novel. 
The  change  from  twenty-five  years  of  teaching 
school  in  the  city  of  New  York,  to  riding  daily  over 
the  prairies  and  valleys  of  Minnesota,  was  an  ex- 
perience something  like  entering  into  a  new  world. 

It  was  early  June  when  we  set  out  to  travel  the 
district  together.  Minnesota  was  in  her  loveliest 
attire.  The  spring  had  been  warm  and  the  season 
forward;  everything  was  clothed  with  verdure,  and 
the  melody  of  the  meadow-larks,  orioles,  cat-birds 
and  chirping  sparrows,  with  the  fragrance  of  wild 
flowers  springing  up  everywhere  made  her  wish, 
"that  all  New  York  for  this  summer  at  least,  could 
be  turned  loose  in  Minnesota."  The  immense 
wheat  fields  which  by  the  end  of  July  were  laden 
with  their  golden  grain  were  an  occasion  of  great 
enjoyment;  and  an  object  lesson  of  such  beauty  as 
she  thought  could  only  be  appreciated  thoroughly 
by  one  who  had  spent  life  shut  up  in  a  great  city. 

We  journeyed  on,  holding  the  meetings  at  the 
various  points,  and  a  camp-meeting  at  Pleasant 
Grove,  until  the  commencement  exercises  of  Ham- 
line  university  at  Eed  Wing,  in  June.  My 
daughter  then  graduated,  and  we  attended  the  exer- 
cices,  which  we  greatly  enjoyed.  Then  we  con- 
tinued our  work  on  the  district  until  September, 


RECOLLECTIONS.  377 

only  varying  it  by  an  occasional  drive  to  Winona 
where  we  received  our  mail  and  where  we  enjoyed, 
occasionally,  the  society  and  the  hospitalities  of  our 
friends  the  Nortons,  Simpsons,  Drews,  Fryes, 
Brinks,  and  others. 

Our  conference  met  that  year  at  St.  Anthony; 
Bishop  Ames,  presiding.  We  had  a  harmonious 
and  profitable  session.  There  had  been  progress 
all  along  the  lines  of  enterprise  and  endeavor,  and 
much  to  encourage  us.  At  the  last  meeting  of  the 
cabinet,  when  all  the  appointments,  excepting 
those  of  the  districts,  had  been  "fixed,"  I  ventured 
to  call  the  attention  of  the  bishop  to  these.  And 
giving  them  his  immediate  attention,  he  arranged 
them  all,  until  he  came  to  Winona.  Pausing  there, 
I  inquired  whether  the  same  appointee  (myself) 
would  be  continued.  To  this,  in  his  own  dry,  slow, 
yet  humorous  way,  he  answered: — 

"Well,  I  don't  know  that  I  can  do  any  better;  if 
I  could  I  would!" 

To  which  I  replied,  "Yes,  bishop:  I  know  it  is 
rather  a  hard  case;  but  you  understand  that  in  a 
new  country,  when  we  cannot  do  as  we  would,  we 
must  do  as  we  can!  In  fact,  we  need  first-class 
men  for  bishops  and  presiding  elders;  but  when 
we  cannot  get  them,  we  must  take  such  as  we  have, 
and  make  the  most  we  'can  out  of  them!"  This 
was  our  last  joke.  And  we  had  seldom  met  with- 
out them — each  of  us  understanding  pretty  well 
the  calibre  of  the  other.  I  have  never  seen  the 
bishop  since.  He  died  in  1872,  shortly  after 
attending  the  General  conference  of  that  year. 

25 


378  RECOLLECTIONS. 

After  returning  from  conference  we  went  to 
housekeeping  at  Winona,  where  I  had  bought  a 
house.  This  brought  us  all  together  again;  and 
the  children  greatly  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  once 
more  having  a  home,  that  they  could  call  their 
own.  My  Willie,  at  this  time  a  lad  of  eleven, 
and  who  for  nearly  two  years  had  sadly  missed  the 
love  and  care  to  which  he  had  been  before  accus- 
tomed, seemed  particularly  pleased  and  happy. 
He  had  been  with  us  for  a  trip  on  the  district 
at  the  close  of  his  school  term;  also  to  con- 
ference, at  St.  Anthony,  and  he  appeared  to  realize 
that  in  his  second  mother  he  had  found  the  friend 
he  needed. 

During  the  remainder  of  my  time  on  the  Winona 
district,  and  afterwards  when  on  the  St.  Paul  dis- 
trict, his  mother  and  he  were  necessarily  much  to- 
gether, and  their  companionship  was  of  the  hap- 
piest character.  In  reviewing  those  formative 
years  of  his  life,  I  feel  assured  that  the  love  and 
care  exercised  by  his  mother,  has  had  much  to  do 
in  developing  a  character,  which  has  been  unusu- 
ally pure,  true,  noble  and  efficient. 

It  is  with  feelings  of  something  more  than  pa- 
ternal pride,  that  I  here  allude  to  the  life  of  my 
son  William.  Eemarkably  docile  and  obedient 
from  his  earliest  childhood,  he  did  not  need  correc- 
tion nor  reproof;  of  his  own  will  he  chose  to  be  indus- 
trious and  obedient.  Our  companionship  has  been 
the  closest  and  tenderest.  His  father  and  he  enjoying 
each  other's  society  as  if  they  had  been  brothers, 
each  pleased  with  the  pursuits  and  views  of  the 


RECOLLECTIONS.  379 

other.  Converted  and  joining  the  church  as  a 
probationer  in  his  eighth  year,  and  in  his  twelfth 
year,  at  Winona,  uniting  in  full  membership,  his 
entire  responsible  life  has  been  that  of  a  profess- 
ing Christian.  After  acquiring  a  good  English 
and  Latin  course  at  the  public  schools 
of  Winona,  St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis  and  the 
Red  Wing  Seminary,  (Hood's)  he  entered  the 
Northwestern  university  at  Evanston,  111.,  as 
freshman,  in  the  fall  of  1875.  And  there  took  with 
honor  his  degree  of  A^Sfc  in  1879.  During  his 
senior  year  he  felt  assured  that  he  was  called  of 
God  to  preach;  although  for  some  time  he  had 
struggled  against  this  conviction.  But  in  the 
early  part  of  that  year  he  willingly  submitted  his 
will  to  the  will  of  God,  and  wrote  me:  "Father,  I 
may  as  well  tell  you.  The  'woe  is  on  me.'  I  must 
preach." 

After  his  graduation  from  the  university,  he 
entered  Garrett  Biblical  institute,  and  took  the 
Theological  course;  having  also  in  addition  to  his 
university  and  Theological  course,  acquired  a 
knowledge  of  French  and  German.  During  his 
two  years  in  Garrett  Biblical  institute  he  was  em- 
ployed, by  Dr.  Willing  in  city  mission  work  in 
Chicago,  with  credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to 
the  people.  And  in  the  second  year,  while  attend- 
ing a  camp-meeting  at  Des  Plaines,  in  connection 
with  his  receiving  a  mighty  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  he  felt  that  the  Lord  called  him  to  a  foreign 
field.  "He  was  not  disobedient  to  the  heavenly 
vision,"  but  at  once  allowed  it  to  be  understood, 


380  RECOLLECTIONS. 

that  if  he  were  needed  for  that  work,  he  was  wil- 
ling to  go.  His  mother,  believing  that  after  six 
years  of  continuous  application  to  study  he  should 
at  least  wait  for  a  year  before  entering  upon  so 
great  an  undertaking  as  the  study  of  the 
Chinese  language  and  the  labors  of  a  missionary 
in  that  field  (for  to  this  he  had  been  assigned  by 
Bishop  Wiley),  advised  that  he  rest  at  home  for 
the  three  months  preceding  the  Minnesota  Annual 
conference  of  1881,  and  if  he  judged  best,  take 
work  in  that  conference  for  a  year.  This  he  did, 
and  in  1881,  was  received  on  trial  and  appointed 
by  the  Minnesota  conference  to  Worthington. 
He  entered  upon  this  work  with  his  usual  thor- 
oughness; built  up  and  established  the  Methodist 
church  in  that  place,  where  without  a  house 
of  worship  and  under  many  difficulties,  the 
society  had  been  much  discouraged;  and 
nearly  completed  a  substantial  and  tasteful 
church,  on  which  he  had  labored  assiduously, 
before  the  end  of  June.  In  August,  1882,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Emily  M.  Hatfield, 
second  daughter  of  Dr.  R.  M.  Hatfield,  of  Evans- 
ton,  111.  And  early  in  September  they  sailed  for 
China.  To  say  that  the  announcement  of  Ids  hav- 
ing chosen  a  foreign  field,  was  a  shock  and  a  sur- 
prise to  me,  does  not  begin  to  tell  how  my  poor 
heart  had  to  struggle  for  submission,  when  I  learned 
that  the  dear  son,  on  whom  I  had  leaned  as  an 
earthly  prop,  and  in  whose  society  I  had  hoped  to 
spend  the  evening  of  my  life;  of  whom  I  had  always 
thought  as  caring  for  me  when  no  longer  able  to 


RECOLLECTIONS.  381 

provide  for  myself — was  to  leave  me,  in  all  human 
probability,  forever.  I  could  only  turn  to  Him,  who 
had  been  my  staff  and  stay  through  many  years 
and  trials,  and  say,  "Thy  will  be  done!" 

Later,  as  we  became  more  accustomed  to  the 
thought  of  the  separation,  we  blessed  the  Lord 
who  had  counted  us  worthy,  not  only  to  rear  up  a 
son  to  serve  Him,  but  that  He  had  permitted  us  to 
suffer  for  His  sake.  I  think  I  may  add  that  to  his 
mother  and  me,  earth  has  seemed  more  empty 
and  Heaven  more  attractive  since  the  departure  of 
our  dear  son  to  China. 

During  the  winter  of  1868-9  there  were  revivals 
on  almost  every  charge  011  the  district.  The 
preachers  were  earnest  and  faithful,  and  our  quar- 
terly meetings,  seasons  of  refreshing  from  the 
Lord.  We  held  two  camp-meetings  this  year, 
which  were  blessed  to  the  spiritual  profit  of  many, 
the  conversion  of  souls  and  the  enlargement  of  the 
church.  I  drove  my  own  team  in  going  to  my  ap- 
pointments this  year  and  generally  was  able  to 
spend  a  day  or  two  at  home  each  week. 

The  conference  of  1869  was  held  in  Minneapolis ; 
Bishop  Scott,  presiding;  fro  in*  which  I  was  sent  to 
the  Winona  station.  On  the  whole,  this  was  not 
to  me  a  satisfactory  year,  so  far  as  the  result  of  my 
labor  was  concerned.  My  work  in  the  pulpit,  if  I 
am  able  to  judge  of  it,  was  done  as  well  and  as  faith- 
fully as  heretofore.  The  congregations  were  good, 
the  Word  seemed  to  be  blessed;  and  the  testimony 
of  many  was  that  they  were  being  built  up  and 
established  in  the  faith.  The  prayer  meetings 


382  EECOLLECTIONS. 

were  well  attended,  perhaps  never  better.  The 
Sunday  school  was  large,  well  organized  and  pros- 
pering in  every  department;  unusually  so  in  the 
Bible  classes  and  the  infant  class.  The  latter, 
of  which  my  wife  was  teacher,  assisted  by  Mrs.  Dr. 
Welch,  was  one  of  the  largest  and  most  interesting 
I  have  known,  at  some  seasons  averaging  nearly 
one  hundred  in  attendance.  And  yet  there  were 
certain  influences  at  work,  which  hedged  up  a  re- 
vival, and  which  created  an  atmosphere,  new 
as  it  was,  uncomfortable  to  me.  But  one,  and  not 
the  least  of  the  desirable  features  of  our  economy, 
is  the  facility  with  which  disagreeable  arrange- 
ments can  be  adjusted  so  as  to  release  all  em- 
barrassed parties.  And  so,  greatly  to  my  satisfac- 
tion, although  somewhat  grieved  and  disappointed 
at  not  having  seen  such  a  result  of  the  year's  work 
as  I  had  hoped  to  see,  I  finished  it  and  went  to 
conference. 

At  the  conference  of  1870,  held  at  Owatonna, 
Bishop  Clarke,  presiding,  I  was  sent  to  the  St. 
Paul  district,  which  then  included  St.  Paul  and 
Minneapolis,  and  most  of  the  state  north  of  these 
twin  cities.  This  was  an  immense  district;  but 
with  the  new  and  improved  order  of  things,  brought 
about  by  the  railroads,  it  was  comparatively  easily 
traveled. 

The  opening  of  the  Northern  Pacific  and  the  St. 
Paul  &  Duluth  railroads,  had  resulted  in  the 
building  up  of  a  city  on  the  Minnesota  shore  of 
Lake  Superior.  The  site,  selected  for  this  great 
city  that  was  to  be,  was  a  bluff  of  solid  granite, 


RECOLLECTIONS.  383 

slightly  covered  with  soil;  rising  somewhat 
abruptly  from  the  shore  to  a  height  of 
about  seven  hundred  feet  in  the  first  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile:  covered  with  a  thick 
growth  of  cedar,  pine,  spruce,  and  balsam,  mingled 
with  a  variety  of  the  hard  woods.  This  beautiful, 
rocky,  romantic,  picturesque,  and  unlikely  place 
for  a  city,  with  an  atmosphere  that  was  raw,  blus- 
tery and  cold  nine  months  of  the  year,  and  at  the 
head  of  the  "unsalted  sea"  of  the  north,  which  it 
overlooks,  was  one  of  my  charges,  and  an  entirely 
new  one. 

As  the  population  was  rapidly  increasing,  and 
there  was  every  prospect  of  its  becoming  a  busi- 
ness point  of  considerable  magnitude,  it  was  need- 
ful to  send  to  it  a  Methodist  preacher,  who  would 
there  take  steps  toward  the  erection  of  a  church 
edifice;  consequently,  Rev.  Harvey  Webb  was  ap- 
pointed to  Duluth.  He  soon  succeeded  in 
obtaining  a  donation  of  two  very  eligible  lots,  and 
in  building  a  substantial  church.  This  was  dedi- 
cated by  Dr.  J.  M.  Reid,  the  next  year,  my  second 
on  the  district. 

Another  point  of  growing  interest  on  my  work 
that  year,  was  Superior  City.  This  was  located  on 
the  Wisconsin  shore  of  the  lake,  and  was  long  sup- 
posed to  be  the  only  possible  place  at  the  head  of  the 
lake,  where  a  city  could  be  built.  This  city,  with 
Oneota,  a  little  village  four  miles  west  of  Duluth, 
was  under  the  pastoral  care  of  Rev.  J.  R.  Creighton, 
At  the  latter,  we  succeeded  in  building  a  snug  little 
church.  At  the  other  extreme  of  the  district,  the 


384  RECOLLECTIONS. 

Minneapolis  end,  Kev.  J.  F.  Cliaffee,  was  building 
the  Seventh  street  church,  now  "Thirteenth 
avenue,"  which,  with  the  new  and  commodious  Cen- 
tenary church,  were  all  that  we  had  in  the  city. 

The  year  was  a  busy  one,  but  the  work  grew,  and 
the  faith  of  the  people  was  becoming  stronger  in 
God  and  in  the  Methodist  church. 

The  conference  of  1871,  was  held  in  Mankato; 
Bishop  Simpson,  presiding.  Returning  to  the 
district  for  the  second  year,  I  found  that  I  had  the 
advantage  of  a  year's  knowledge  to  assist  me  in  this 
extensive  field.  This  year  we  sent  a  man  to  Bay- 
field,  whose  work  included  Ashland,  eighteen  miles 
south,  at  the  head  of  Chequamegon  bay;  and  Kev. 
W.  D.  Bennett  took  charge  of  the  church  there. 

Ashland,  at  this  time,  contained  about  twenty- 
five  houses.  The  people  were  then  engaged  in 
building  a  pier  which  would  extend  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  out  into  the  bay;  and  the  town  was  just  on 
the  edge  of  its  rising  "boom."  Here  I  held  the 
third  quarterly  meeting  for  the  charge  and  had 
the  honor  of  preaching  the  first  sermon  ever  heard 
in  that  place.  This  city,  on  the  south  side  of  Lake 
Superior,  one  hundred  miles  from  its  head,  is  now 
the  terminus  of  the  Wisconsin  Central  railroad, 
and  a  city  of  considerable  importance. 

In  August  I  was  requested  to  meet  Bishops  Ames 
and  Gilbert  Haven,  at  Duluth,  and  accompany 
them  west,  along  the  Northern  Pacific  railway.  Ac- 
cordingly, I  arranged  to  do  so,  and  met  Bishop 
Haven  (Bishop  Ames  being  detained  by  family 
affliction),  and  in  company  with  Kev.  H.  J.  Crist, 


RECOLLECTIONS.  385 

then  stationed  at  Duluth,  and  Bro.  Merritt,  of 
Oneota,  took  the  train  to  Braiiierd,  where  we  re- 
mained until  late  in  the  afternoon.  Thence,  by  a 
freight  train,  we  rode  as  far  as  Wadena;  staid  all 
night,  and  slept  in  blankets  on  the  floor.  The 
next  day  we  went  on  to  Glyndon,  where  the  bishop 
had  made  an  appointment  to  preach,  and  he  re- 
mained there.  The  rest  of  us  went  on  to  Moor- 
head  and  Fargo.  At  Moorhead  we  left  an  appoint- 
ment with  the  Presbyterian  preacher  for  the  bishop 
to  preach  at  that  place  the  next  evening.  We  re- 
mained at  Fargo  over  night  in  a  log  hotel ;  and  it 
was  arranged  that  I  should  preach  there  the  next 
day,  at  5  r.  M.  Fargo  then  consisted  of  four  or  five 
houses,  and  about  eighty  cloth  tents. 

In  the  morning,  we  took  a  construction  train  and 
went  west  sixty  miles,  to  where  they  were  driving 
the  spikes  on  the  road.  The  bishop  remained  at 
Glyndon,  waiting  for  the  west  bound  train.  This 
was  a  royal  ride  across  the  valley  of  the  Red  river, 
probably  one  of  the  richest  bodies  of  alluvial  soil 
on  this  continent  or  in  the  world.  This  valley  is 
over  two  hundred  miles  long,  and  from  eighty  to 
one  hundred  and  twenty  wide.  Taking  the  train 
on  its  return,  reached  Fargo  in  time  for  my  appoint- 
ment. Observing  two  small  houses  near  each 
other,  and  furnished  with  porches,  I  took  my  stand 
in  the  street  before  them.  I  then  stuck  my  cane 
in  the  ground,  and  hung  my  hat  on  it,  for  a  pulpit, 
and  preached  from  Deut.  XXXII.,  47:  "For  it  is 
not  a  vain  thing  for  you;  because  it  is  your  life." 
This  was  the  first  sermon  preached  in  Fargo. 


386  RECOLLECTIONS. 

The  next  day,  the  bishop  having  preached  in 
Moorhead  the  night  before,  we  took  the  stage  for 
Frog  Point,  forty  miles  north,  and  there  took  the 
boat  for  Fort  Garry  and  Winnipeg.  On  our  arrival 
we  were  hospitably  entertained  by  Rev.  Mr.  Young, 
the  minister  of  the  Wesleyaii  Methodist  church  of 
Winnipeg.  The  following  day  being  Sunday,  it 
was  planned  that  the  bishop  should  preach  for  Mr. 
Young  at  Winnipeg  in  the  morning;  and  that  I 
should,  at  the  same  hour,  fill  an  appointment  of 
his,  some  twelve  miles  up  the  Assiniboine  river  on 
the  north  side,  and  return  to  the  city  and  preach 
there  at  night. 

On  Sunday  morning  I  was  driven  by  a  son  of 
Mr.  Young,  through  a  beautiful  country  called  the 
"Highlands;"  a  fine  elevation  of  about  twenty-five 
feet.  Here  I  preached,  and  returned  in  time  for 
tea  and  preached,  as  arranged,  at  night. 

On  Monday  morning  in  company  with  our  con- 
sul, Mr.  Taylor,  and  the  rest  of  our  party,  we  crossed 
the  Red  river;  visited  the  residence  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  bishops;  re-crossed  the  river  and  walked 
several  miles  down  the  west  side;  called  on  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Black,  the  Scotch  Presbyterian  minister, 
and  were  shown  his  college  building;  passed  on 
down  through  what  is  known  as  the  "Selkirk 
settlement,"  which  had  been  commenced  more 
than  fifty  years  before.  Here  we  saw  wheat  fields, 
where  the  forty-ninth  consecutive  crop  was  just 
ready  to  be  harvested,  yielding  as  I  afterwards 
learned,  thirty-four  bushels  to  the  acre.  On  in- 
quiring I  learned  from  Mr.  Tate,  an  intelligent 


RECOLLECTIONS.  387 

Scotch  farmer,  with  whom  I  conversed,  that  these 
farms  had  never  been  summer-fallowed,  never  sub- 
soiled,  never  manured,  and  had  borne  on,  bounti- 
fully, for  fifty  years. 

We  walked  down  nearly  ten  miles  through  the 
"Selkirk  settlement,"  and  went  on  board  the  steam- 
boat which  had  come  down  as  per  arrangement 
of  our  friends  for  our  accommodation,  and  steamed 
up  to  Fort  Garry.  This  Fort  stands  on  the  north 
bank  of  the  Assiniboine,  and  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  from  the  Red  river.  Near  this  we  parted 
from  our  kind  host,  and  journeying  on  reached 
Frog  Point,  the  second  morning,  having  passed 
the  forts  on  either  side  of  the  British  line  at 
Pernbina;  stopping  at  Grand  Forks,  and  other 
landings,  which  have  since  become  important 
towns.  We  reached  Moorhead  by  stage,  in  time 
to  take  the  train  to  Duluth  and  thence  to  Min- 
neapolis. 

Bishop  Haven  spent  one  day  at  White  Earth 
Agency  and  then  joined  me  at  Minneapolis  and 
having  until  the  evening,  before  being  obliged  to 
leave  for  the  West  Wisconsin  conference ;  we  in- 
vited some  twelve  or  more  of  the  preachers  to  dine 
with  the  bishop  at  our  house.  This  was  a  very  en- 
joyable occasion,  and  was  rendered  still  more  so, 
by  a  drive  to  Minnehaha  in  the  afternoon;  at 
which  place,  with  a  background  formed  by  the 
Laughing  Waters  and  the  tall  trees,  we  had  a 
photograph  taken  of  our  dear  bishop,  in  a  group 
of  Minnesota  preachers. 


388  RECOLLECTIONS. 

The  conference  met  soon  after  our  return,  at 
Winona;  Bishop  Gilbert  Haven,  presiding. 

Here  the  new  dispensation  of  steam  was  inaugu- 
rated in  the  laying  out  of  districts;  some  of  which 
were  now  made  to  extend  hundreds  of  miles  along 
the  lines  of  the  railroads.  The  number  of  the 
charges  was  greatly  increased  in  each;  and  the  old 
idea  of  quarterly  meetings  at  which  the  presiding 
elder  was  to  preach  on  Saturday,  p.  M.,  hold  the 
quarterly  conference  afterwards,  then  preach  at 
night,  and  on  Sabbath,  have  love-feast  at  9  o'clock 
A.  M.,  preaching  by  the  "elder"  at  10:30,  and  then 
the  sacrament, — became  a  thing  of  the  past. 

By  some  of  us,  of  the  old  school,  this  has  been 
so  long  a  cherished,  because  a  helpful  and  blessed, 
order  of  religious  service,  that  the  new  course  al- 
though it  comes  heralded  by  the  era  of  steam, 
does  not  quite  satisfy  us.  We  miss  the  ardor  and 
the  earnestness.  While  the  preparation  for,  and 
the  sacrifice  often  to  attend,  made  the  occasion  of 
the  quarterly  meetings  and  the  coming  of  the 
presiding  elder,  matters  of  importance.  Then, 
too,  because  of  the  anticipated  blessing,  it  was  al- 
most always  received.  From  these  means  of  grace, 
souls  went  out  stronger  in  the  Lord  and  "the 
power  of  His  might,"  and  conscious  of  a  loyalty 
to  and  love  for  Methodism,  in  consequence  of  par- 
ticipation in  these  her  peculiar  and  time  honored 
services.  There  also  it  was  expected  that  souls 
would  be  converted,  and  we  were  not  disappointed; 
hundreds  having  found  Christ  in  the  pardon  of 
sins  at  our  quarterly  meetings.  Then,  too,  the 


RECOLLECTIONS.  389 

presiding  elders  selected  were  supposed  to  be  the 
wisest  and  ablest  men  in  the  ministry.  And  the 
people  and  the  preachers  welcomed  their  presence 
as  a  benefit  and  a  benediction.  But  now  in  the 
newer  order  of  things,  a  presiding  elder  who  has  to 
meet  forty  or  fifty  quarterly  conferences  each 
quarter,  can  be  but  little  more  than  an  ecclesi- 
astical marshal,  whose  business  it  is,  to  nab  of- 
fenders and  collect  his  salary.  And  the  quarterly 
meetings  are  matters  of  no  special  importance. 
The  St.  Paul  district  this  year  included  all  the 
country  along  the  line  of  the  Manitoba  railroad  as 
far  as  Evansville;  although  the  road  was  only 
completed  to  Melrose;  leaving  about  eighty  miles 
to  Parker  Prairie,  where  we  had  a  charge,  to  be 
traveled  as  best  it  could  be. 

In  the  preceding  summer,  while  the  Seventh 
street  church  was  not  yet  completed  in  Minne- 
apolis, and  the  city  rapidly  extending  south  and 
west,  Mrs.  Hobart  and  myself  visited  the  neigh- 
borhoods and  families  in  those  directions,  for  the 
purpose  of  organizing  a  Sunday  school.  We  were 
successful  beyond  our  expectations.  Our  project 
was  received  with  eagerness  by  very  many  fami- 
lies; several  of  them  Methodists,  who,  living  at  so 
great  a  distance  from  "Centenary,"  could  not  take 
their  young  children  there  to  church,  neither 
could  they  leave  them  to  go  themselves.  Many  of 
these  families  were  just  beginning  life;  and  the 
little  homes  which  they  had  built  had  cost  about 
all  that  they  then  had  to  expend,  and  to  dress, 


390  RECOLLECTIONS. 

as  they  supposed,  suitably,  to  attend  "Centenary" 
was  beyond  their  means. 

We  soon  secured  the  use  of  an  unfinished  house 
from  a  Mr.  Harrison,  who  did  not  expect  his  fami- 
ly on  from  the  east  until  the  fall.  And  sending 
out  word  to  the  people  whom  we  had  visited,  we 
opened  our  little  school  about  the  middle  of  July. 
Mr.  James  Wyman,  a  young  man  who  had  come  to 
make  his  home  in  Minneapolis  a  short  time  before, 
was  enlisted  as  superintendent.  The  attendance 
increased  with  each  Sunday,  and  in  a  few  weeks 
Mrs.  Hobart,  with  some  of  the  ladies  whom  she 
had  interested  in  her  school,  decided  that  they 
would  build  for  themselves  a  chapel  or  Sunday 
school  room. 

To  raise  the  funds  needed  for  this  enterprise, 
the  talent  of  some  fifty  of  the  young  people,  and 
children  of  the  "Centenary  Sunday  school"  was 
utilized  by  getting  up  a  literary  entertainment; 
comprising  a  congressional  debate,  dialogues, 
singing  and  recitations  by  the  children  and  young 
people.  This  was  well  patronized  and  enough  was 
realized  to  pay  for  the  erection  of  a  little  chapel, 
40x35. 

The  lumber  for  this  little  chapel,  was  kindly 
donated  by  the  Brothers  Harrison;  the  windows 
by  Bro.  Copeland;  the  curtains  by  Miss  Ada  M. 
Chapman,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and  the  furniture  by 
other  friends.  Minneapolis  Methodism  is  under 
many  obligations  to  the  Messrs.  Harrison 
for  its  development,  financially.  These  gentlemen, 
loyal  sons  of  a  royal  Methodist  father  and  mother, 


RECOLLECTIONS.  391 

contributed  largely  to  the  building  of  the  Cente- 
nary M.  E.  church,  the  first  large  church  which 
Methodism  owned  in  that  city.  A  little  later 
they  contributed  to  the  building  of  Seventh  street 
church  and  afterward,  to  Hennepin  avenue 
church.  Indeed,  of  the  ten  Methodist  Episcopal 
churches  in  that  beautiful  and  enterprising  "city  by 
the  falls,"  there  is  not  one  which  has  not  shared 
more  or  less  in  their  liberality  and  beneficence. 

Of  these  three  brothers,  William,  Asbury  and 
Hugh,  much  might  be  written  to  their  credit  as 
Methodists  and  Christian  gentlemen.  William 
Harrison,  the  elder  of  the  three  and  the  leader 
and  counselor  of  the  brothers  for  many  years,  was  a 
gentleman  of  rare  kindness  and  Christian  courtesy, 
as  well  as  of  great  sagacity  and  business  tact. 
He  was  uncompromising  in  his  adherence  to  the 
right  on  every  line,  abhorring  whatever  in  his  es- 
timation, savored  of  hypocrisy  or  deceit;  a  cordial 
supporter  of  whatever  would  tend  to  the  develop- 
ment of  the  truth.  Hence,  in  him  the  preachers 
always  found  a  kind  friend  and  at  his  home  and 
table,  from  himself  and  estimable  wife,  a  kindly 
welcome.  Naturally  quiet  and  retiring,  he  chose 
for  his  recreation  the  care  of  his  beautiful  grounds 
and  orchard.  And  it  is  a  pleasant  memory  to  see 
him  in  the  morning,  with  his  genial  smile,  come 
out  from  under  the  apple  trees  to  give  a  cordial 
greeting,  and  to  think  of  him  with  scarcely  an 
absence  for  many  years  from  his  accustomed  place 
in  the  church  and  prayer  meeting.  He  left  us  for 
the  home  of  many  mansions,  about  eleven  years 


392  RECOLLECTIONS. 

ago,  but  he  left  behind  him  the  testimony  of  a  life 
of  truth  and  of  devotion  to  the  service  of  God,  and 
"his  works  do  follow  him." 

His  brothers,  Asbury  and  Hugh,  are  still  with 
us,  brethren  beloved  in  the  church;  helping  and 
encouraging  in  every  good  word  and  work. 

Among  the  many  monuments  of  the  Christian 
benevolence  of  these  brothers,  perhaps  none  will 
be  more  enduring  than  that  of  Hamline  university. 
This  institution,  which  has  been  so  greatly  bene- 
fitted  by  their  generosity  and  which  without  their 
aid  must  have  been  shorn  of  much  of  its  present 
success,  is  now  located  about  half  way  between  the 
twin  cities  of  Minneapolis  and  St.  Paul.  It  has 
already  acquired  a  fine  reputation  as  an  educational 
institution  of  our  Methodist  church  in  the  North- 
west. It  is  doing,  at  this  time,  a  good  work>  giv- 
ing proof  of  its  usefulness;  and  has  before  it,  I 
believe  and  hope,  a  grand  career  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  Methodism  of  Minnesota.  Dr.  G.  H. 
Bridgman  is  its  efficient  president. 

Into  our  little  chapel,  which  these  dear  friends 
and  their  wives  had  assisted  us  in  building  and 
encouraged  us  in  undertaking,  we  moved  the  Sun- 
day school  before  winter.  At  the  same  time 
preaching  was  arranged  for  in  the  afternoons  at 
the  close  of  the  school;  and  prayer  and  class  meet- 
ing on  Thursday  evenings.  About  this  time  Dr. 
Calkins  took  the  superintendency  of  the  Sunday 
school,  Bro.  Wyman  having  left  the  city. 

We  soon  found  that  an  organ  was  needed,  and 
another  literary  entertainment  and  social  was  given 


RECOLLECTIONS.  393 

by  the  Sunday  school  and  the  needful  funds  were 
procured.  This  chapel  was  in  a  short  time  en- 
larged and  made  into  a  charge,  under  the  care  of 
Rev.  S.  T.  Sterrett.  The  church  grew  and  pros- 
pered and  in  time  eligible  lots  were  secured,  and  a 
very  excellent  church  erected;  and  our  little 
"Hobart  chapel"  has  grown  into  Franklin  avenue 
church,  one  of  the  strongest  and  best  located  of 
the  ten  pleasant  and  prosperous  M.  E.  churches  in 
Minneapolis;  Dr.  C.  A.  Van  Anda  being  the  pres- 
ent pastor. 

At  the  Winona  conference  it  was  deemed  best 
to  make  Minneapolis,  which  had  formerly  belonged 
to  the  St.  Paul  district,  the  centre  of  a  new  district 
to  be  known  as  the  Minneapolis  district.  This 
was  done  and  Rev.  D.  Cobb  was  appointed  pre- 
siding elder.  By  this  arrangement  St.  Paul  be- 
came the  headquarters  of  my  district  and  necessi- 
tated our  change  of  residence  from  Minneapolis  to 
St.  Paul. 

Our  stay  in  this  very  pleasant  "city  by  the  falls" 
had  been  a  most  enjoyable  one,  socially.  Mrs. 
Hobart  regretted  the  sundering  of  many  valued 
associations  there;  but  sorrowed  most  of  all  to 
leave  her  Sunday  school  and  the  increasing  re- 
ligious interest  centering  in  the  "Hobart  chapel." 

In  the  spring  of  1871,  while  the  St.  Paul  district 
included  St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis,  two  points 
were  selected  by  myself  and  friends,  in  St.  Paul, 
where  that  growing  city  needed,  in  our  judgment, 
more  religious  privileges.  Two  Sunday  schools  had 
been  organized,  and  were,  after  a  while,  made  into 

26 


394  RECOLLECTIONS. 

a  charge  under  the  pastoral  care  of  Rev.  F.  A. 
Tuttle.  I  had  some  trouble  in  securing  the  funds 
necessary  for  these  enterprises,  and  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  pastor;  but  iny  faith  was  strong  in  Gtxl 
and  I  believed  He  would  send  the  needed  help  if 
efforts  were  made.  And  so  it  was,  the  money  was 
given  and  the  work  inaugurated.  These  points 
have  since  grown  into  the  two  flourishing  charges 
of  Grace  church  and  "Clinton  avenue." 

On  my  third  round  in  the  spring,  my  wife 
accompanied  me  on  a  three  weeks'  trip  to  the  ex- 
treme northwest  of  my  district,  including  Parker 
Prairie  and  Long  Prairie  As  the  railroad  extended 
no  further  than  Melrose  and  we  had  eighty  miles 
beyond  to  travel  to  reach  Parker  Prairie,  we  were 
indebted  to  the  kind  services  of  Bro.  J.  M.  Akers, 
then  stationed  at  Sauk  Centre,  and  Bro.  A.  H. 
Reed  and  others,  who  brought  us  by  stages  in  their 
own  conveyances  to  Alexandria.  Here  we  were 
furnished  by  Bro.  H.  S.  Hilton  with  the  use  of  his 
horse  and  buggy  for  the  next  thirty  miles  to  Park- 
er Prairie. 

This  was  a  tedious  and  somewhat  uncomfortable 
ride.  The  rains  for  the  few  days  previous  had 
been  very  heavy,  the  ground  in  places  naturally 
miry.  A  good  part  of  our  route  lay  through  woods 
where  the  stumps  had  been  left  (the  only  track  to 
drive  over);  and  stretches  of  bog  interspersed  with 
tangled  roots.  By  laying  down,  now  and  then,  in 
the  softest  places,  poles  for  the  wheels  to  run  on, 
and  by  the  patient  plodding  of  the  horse  who 
wallowed  and  pulled  us  bravely  through,  we  man- 


RECOLLECTIONS.  395 

aged  to  reach  Parker  Prairie  just  at  dark,  after  an 
all  day's  ride. 

We  found  Bro.  J.  L.  Smith  and  wife  expecting 
their  elder,  and  we  received  a  cordial  welcome. 
This  brother  was  in  the  second  year  on  this  charge, 
a  good  preacher,  and  an  excellent  man.  For  the 
first  year  he  received  nine  dollars.  Yet  with  a  little 
garden  and  some  potatoes,  corn,  and  vegetables, 
raised  by  his  people,  and  a  little  missionary  money, 
he 'had  made  out  the  year.  The  second  year,  the 
one  of  which  I  speak,  the  people  had  done  a  little 
better  for  their  pastor,  having  been  able  to  get  their 
farms  under  cultivation.  The  furniture  of  this 
good  man's  log  cabin  was  very  scanty.  They  had 
not  had  a  chair  to  sit  on  during  the  two  years; 
three  wooden  stools  being  the  substitutes,  with  a 
small  wooden  bench.  On  our  return,  at  my  wife's 
suggestion,  I  mentioned  this  circumstance  to  some 
of  our  friends  in  St.  Paul,  who  furnished  me  with 
ten  dollars  to  invest  in  chairs  for  Bro.  Smith  and 
his  wife.  So  that  on  my  next  trip,  which  was  in 
the  fall,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  presenting  to  this 
faithful  couple,  two  good  sized  arm  camp-chairs, 
from  their  friends  in  St.  Paul.  How  gratefully 
they  were  received,  and  how  much  appreciated, 
none  can  tell  but  those  who  have  been  in  like  need. 

Our  quarterly  meeting  at  Parker  Prairie  was 
held  in  a  school  house,  which  was  still  minus  the 
windows,  the  seats  and  the  shingles.  Some  of  the 
brethren  carried  in  boards,  placed  them  on  nail- 
kegs  and  boxes  and  anything  that  would  support 
them,  and  the  people  crowded  in.  We  were  hav- 


396  KECOLLECTIONS. 

ing  a  good  time,  all  listening  intently  to  the 
preacher,  when  a  sudden  thunder  shower  came  up. 
Hoping  that  it  might  not  disturb  us  much,  I  pro- 
ceeded; had  just  commenced  the  administration 
of  the  sacrament,  when  the  rain  began  to  pour 
down  through  the  open  rafters.  But  on  we  went; 
no  one  seemed  to  think  of  moving,  until  we  had 
concluded  the  services.  By  that  time  some  of  the 
men  went  out  and  brought  in  umbrellas  and  buffalo 
robes  from  the  wagons;  and  all  waited  quietly  and 
patiently  for  the  sunshine  which  came  in  half  an 
hour  or  so. 

On  Monday  we  returned  to  Alexandria  with  Bro. 
Hilton's  conveyance;  took  the  stage  that  day  for 
Osakis,  and  were  shaken  up .  in  the  most  approved 
style  in  the  heavy  old  stage,  as  we  jolted  and 
thumped  over  some  twelve  miles  of  about  the  worst 
imaginable  specimen  of  corduroy  roads. 

We  found  Bro.  Reed  waiting  for  us  at  Osakis 
with  a  two-horse  wagon;  and  we  proceeded  to  tako 
the  road  for  Long  Prairie,  where  was  to  be  held  a 
camp-meeting  and  which  we  expected  •  to  reach 
about  sundown.  The  condition  of  the  roads,  which 
was  decidedly  bad  on  our  ride  to  Parker  Prairie, 
the  week  before,  we  found  horrible  now.  And 
beside,  the  rain  of  Sunday  noon  and  night  had  so 
swollen  the  streams,  that  the  usually  traveled 
roads  were  considered  impassable;  that  through 
the  woods,  although  longer,  was  thought  safer,  and 
so  we  jogged  along. 

We  had  driven  about  three  or  four  miles  when 
in  getting  over  some  stumps  our  whiffletree  broke. 


KEOOLLECTIONS.  397 

Mending  it  with  a  string  and  bracing  it  up  with  a 
pole,  we  drove  on  to  find  ourselves,  before  long,  in 
a  bog  over  which  poles  must  be  laid  for  our  wheels. 
Steadying  the  wagon  by  holding  it  up,  and  placing 
fresh  runners  at  intervals,  we  emerged  from  that 
dilemma,  to  plunge  into  the  dense  timber  just  as 
the  rain,  accompanied  with  heavy  thunder  and 
lightning,  began  to  pour  down.  To  hasten  was 
impossible.  The  way  had  to  be  trodden  with  great 
caution.  For  a  couple  of  hours  we  endured  what 
could  not  be  cured,  as  philosophically  as  might  be, 
rejoicing  that  we  were  provided  with  one  small 
umbrella  for  three  of  us. 

About  11  o'clock  P.  M.,  we  reached  Sauk  river, 
which  we  expected  to  cross  at  the  ford  below  the 
mill.  This  was  discovered,  after  some  observation, 
to  be  impracticable;  as  the  river  was  on  a  rampage 
from  the  late  rains.  However,  a  single  log  was 
found  laid  across  it  on  the  brink  of  the  dam. 
Leaving  Mrs.  Hobart  in  the  wagon,  with  the  rain 
pattering  down,  the  lightning  flashing,  the  thunder 
muttering  in  the  distance,  the  mosquitoes  swarm- 
ing by  myriads,  and  the  blackness  only  made  more 
apparent  by  the  occasional  flashes,  Bro.  Reed  and 
I  started  to  see  what  was  the  next  best  thing  to  be 
done.  He  "cooned"  himself  over  the  log  and  woke, 
after  long  calling,  the  miller;  procured  a  light, 
held  it  at  the  further  side  of  the  dam ;  and  called 
to  me  that  we  could  get  across  by  driving  straight 
toward  the  light,  avoiding  the  fall  of  twelve  or 
fifteen  feet  on  the  right,  and  the  deep  water  of 
about  twenty  feet  on  our  left.  Returning  to  Mrs. 


398  RECOLLECTIONS. 

Hobart,  I  stated  the  case,  and  we  drove  on  and 
over  the  dam,  the  water  coming  up  and  into  the 
wagon  box  a  little.  Thankfully  we  went  on  for 
another  stretch  of  about  six  miles  all  open  and 
clear,  and  reached  Bro.  Losees,  where  they  had 
been  looking  for  us  all  the  evening,  but  had  given 
us  up  after  midnight  and  had  retired. 

The  camp-meeting  which  commenced  the  next 
day,  was  a  great  help  to  the  neighborhood  for 
many  miles  around.  Religious  privileges  were  so 
few,  the  people  so  scattered,  that  some  who 
attended  that  meeting  had  not  heard  a  sermon  in 
years  before.  Fifteen  or  twenty  were  happily 
converted;  a  still  large  number  of  backsliders  were 
reclaimed;  a  score  of  children  and  adults  baptized, 
and  the  hearts  and  faith  of  many,  strengthened. 

Resting  one  day,  after  the  close  of  the  meeting, 
at  Bro.  Losees,  we  were  then  taken  by  our  host  to 
Osakis,  where  another  camp-meeting  had  been  ap- 
pointed. This,  too,  was  a  very  profitable  occasion. 
Work  was  done,  the  fruitage  of  which  has  been 
better  lives  for  all  these  years;  and  the  harvesting 
of  which  will  not  be,  until  the  "sweet  by  and  by." 

At  the  close  of  the  week,  bidding  farewell  to 
the  many  friends,  we  retraced  our  steps  by  stage, 
buggy  and  railroad,  and  reached  Red  Wing, 
tired  and  yet  refreshed;  thanking  our  God  for  all 
the  way  in  which  He  had  led  us. 

At  the  conference  of  1873,  the  district  was  so 
modified  by  the  formation  of  the  St.   Cloud  dis- . 
trict  that  I  was  released  from  the  necessity  of  visit- 
ing that  upper  country.      The  loss,  territorially, 


EEOOLLECTIONS.  399 

was  made  up  by  adding  to  my  district  on  the  south, 
lied  Wing,  Red  Wing  circuit,  North  field  and 
Cannon  Falls.  This  lessened  the  fatigue  of  travel, 
and  put  the  district  in  much  better  shape. 

The  year  was  a  prosperous  one,  the  preachers 
were  efficient  and  zealous,  the  charges,  increasing 
in  numbers  and  in  usefulness,  and  the  "Word  of 
God  grew  mightily  and  prevailed." 

Our  state  camp-meeting  at  Ked  Kock,  which 
had  been  established  since  1869,  was  blessed  again 
this  year  with  the  approval  of  the  Lord  in  the 
awakening  and  conversion  of  sinners,  and  in  the 
sauctification  of  believers. 

The  conference  of  1874,  met  at  First  church,  St. 
Paul.  This  elegant  structure  is  the  representative 
of  Market  street  church,  the  first  Protestant 
church  built  in  Minnesota;  which  having  been 
sold  the  money  was  invested,  and  with  very  liberal 
contributions  from  Bros.  Nichols,  Goodrich  and 
others,  resulted  in  the  erection  of  this,  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  churches  in  the  state. 

My  four  years  on  the  district  being  ended,  my 
next  appointment  was  Red  Wing  circuit.  This 
was  to  me  both  pleasant  and  convenient.  And  yet 
the  arrangement  was  not  of  my  own  seeking  or 
planning.  Fearing  that  Bro.  Levi  Gleasou,  who 
had  been  on  the  work  but  one  year,  would  feel  af- 
fiicted  by  the  change,  I  had  stated  to  Bishop  Ames 
that  I  was  ready  for  any  field.  But  he,  knowing 
that  my  home  was  in  Heel  Wing,  and  perhaps  with 
sonic  consciousness  also  of  my  many  changes  and 
long  years  of  service,  made  the  appointment ;  saying, 


400  RECOLLECTIONS. 

in  reply  to  my  fears  for  the  comfort  of  my  young 
brother:  "I  will  assume  all  responsibility 
in  the  matter."  And  when  Bishop  Ames  set  his 
foot  down,  there  was  not  much  probability  of  its 
being  lifted. 

The  Red  Wing  circuit  had  five  appointments 
in  two  weeks;  all  to  be  filled  on  Sundays  (two  on 
one,  and  three  on  the  other);  with  a  ride  of  fif- 
teen and  twenty  miles  on  each  alternate  Sabbath. 
To  these  were  added  another  point  which  had 
belonged  formerly  to  the  city  work. 

To  help  me  in  this  really  difficult  work,  my  good 
wife  offered  to  fill  one  of  these  appointments  each 
Sunday.  This  was  quite  a  relief  to  me,  and  was 
very  acceptable  to  the  people.  Indeed,  I  thought 
they  were  better  pleased  with  her  preaching  than 
with  mine.  There  were  indications  of  revival,  at 
several  of  the  appointments,  and  we  began  early  in 
the  year  to  hold  special  meetings,  with  very  en- 
couraging results.  There  were  several  conversions 
at  different  points,  but  at  Spring  Creek, 
in  the  town  of  Burnside,  the  work  was  most 
extensive.  The  power  of  the  Lord  was 
there  revealed  as  in  the  former  days;  and 
forty  were  clearly  converted.  The  influence  of 
this  was  most  salutary;  and  many  of  those  who 
started  then  in  the  service  of  the  Lord,  are  not 
only  steadfast  still  in  the  faith,  but  walking  in  the 
light,  and  rejoicing  in  the  prospect  of  life  eternal, 
while  some  have  already  entered  "the  gates  of 
pearl." 

Our  next  conference  was  held  at   Bed   Wing; 


RECOLLECTIONS.  401 

Bishop  Wiley,  presiding.  The  good  bishop  whom 
we  had  the  pleasure  to  entertain  at  our  home,  en- 
deared himself  to  all  our  hearts  by  his  firm  and 
gentle  wisdom,  his  brotherly  and  considerate  ad- 
ministration. His  sermon  on  Sunday  was  a  most 
blessed  one,  and  will  long  be  remembered.  His 
theme  was,  "Faith  and  its  Mighty  Results." 

I  was  returned  to  the  circuit,  and  had  with  the 
dear  people  a  happy  and  prosperous  year,  in  which, 
while  there  were  not  so  many  converted,  because 
there  were  not  as  many  to  convert,  there  was  a 
good  deal  of  building  up  and  strengthening. 


402  RECOLLECTIONS. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

^UHE  first  hundred  years  of  American  Independ- 
ence ended  in  1876.  In  that  year  ended  also 
my  fortieth  year  of  active  itinerancy.  And  it 
seemed  to  me  with  an  abiding  consciousness  of  grati- 
tude to  Him  who  for  forty  years  had  permitted  me 
to  sow  by  many  waters,  the  Word  of  Life;  who 
had  enabled  me  to  endure,  as  seeing  Him  who  is 
invisible,  through  some  hard  service;  who  had 
given  me  strength  to  labor  with  scarcely  the  loss 
of  an  appointment  (saving  the  time  of  illness  at 
Macomb  in  1839 ) ;  who  had  permitted  me  to  build 
and  lay  deep  the  foundations  of  our  faith,  in  Illi- 
nois, Iowa,  Wisconsin  arid  Minnesota;  who  had 
led  and  blessed  me  all  my  life — that  it  would  honor 
Him  more,  and  serve  the  church  better,  for  me  to 
withdraw  from  the  front  lines  of  the  battle,  and 
let  the  younger  men  who  were  pushing  on,  lead 
the  hosts. 

This  conclusion  did  not  at  all  induce  me  to  retire 
from  labor  in  the  Master's  vineyard,  nor  from 
service  in  our  beloved  Zion.  But  it  left  me  free 
to  preach  where  I  pleased;  and  as  I  had  labored 
many  years  for  very  little  pecuniary  recompense, 
it  would  permit  me  to  give  the  Lord  and  the  church 


RECOLLECTIONS.  403 

what  service  there  was  still  in  me,  without  charge. 

My  work,  however,  as  an  itinerant,  did  not  ter- 
minate as  I  had  calculated.  While  traveling  on 
the  Eed  Wing  circuit,  after  an  interval  of  three 
years'  absence,  two  winters  of  which  were  spent  as 
chaplain  of  our  state  legislature,  and  the  other  in 
California — in  an  effort  to  restore  ray  wife's 
health — I  was  taken  seriously  ill  with  pneu- 
monia. In  this  attack  I  came  down  very 
near  to  the  gates  of  death;  and  from  thence 
returned  slowly  to  health  and  strength.  But 
through  the  mercy  of  our  God  and  the  constant 
care  of  my  dear  wife,  and  the  best  skill  of  com- 
petent physicians,  Dr.  Philo  E.  Jones,  of  Red 
Wing,  and  that  of  my  son-in-law,  Dr.  Charles 
Simpson,  of  Minneapolis,  I  have  been  raised  to  the 
enjoyment  of  comparative  vigor. 

My  experiences  during  the  days  when  I  was 
hovering  between  life  and  death,  were  glorious  be- 
yond expression.  It  seemed  as  if  I  were  bathing 
in  an  infinite  ocean  of  light,  love  and  sweetness. 
And  with  returning  health,  this  fact  was  deeply 
impressed  upon  my  consciousness  that  there  is 
neither  "valley  nor  shadow,"  through  which  the 
Christian  must  pass  to  reach  his  heavenly  home. 

Our  visits  to  California  in  1879  and  in  1883, 
were  both  beneficial  and  delightful.  On  our  last 
trip  we  were  by  special  invitation  the  guests  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alexander  Duncan,  of  Duncan's 
Mills,  who  by  their  generosity  made  the  trip  pos- 
sible. To  these  dear  friends,  cousins  of  my  wife, 
we  are  under  very  many  obligations.  On  each 


404  RECOLLECTIONS. 

occasion  of  our  visit  to  the  "land  of  flowers,"  their 
elegant  home  was  made  to  us  a  welcome  resting 
place. 

While  spending  the  winter  there  the  last  time, 
Mrs.  Hobart's  health  was  so  far  restored  that  she 
was  able  to  visit  several  parts  of  the  state  in  tin -i 
interest  of  the  Woman's  Christian  Temperance 
union.  In  Hollister  ,we  enjoyed  the  hospitalities 
of  my  old  Wisconsin  friends,  Bro.  Rhinehart  and 
wife.  This  good  brother  was  one  of  iny  stewards 
on  the  Union  charge,  Racine  district.  And  here 
Mrs.  Hobart  organized  a  W.  C.  T.  U. 

We  also  visited  Santa  Cruz,  where  we  met  our 
neighbors  and  friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wm.  Howe, 
who  were  spending  the  winter  in  California,  and 
which  beautiful  land,  Mrs.  Howe  left  the 
next  summer  for  that  country  "where  the  inhabit- 
ants never  say,  'I  am  sick!'"  Butte  and  Shasta 
counties  were  visited;  W.  C.  T.  unions  organized, 
and  considerable  temperance  work  done.  At 
Chico,  we  were  the  guests  of  General  John  Bidwell 
and  wife.  And  we  saw  one  of  the  best,  if  not  the 
very  best,  cultured  and  most  thoroughly  managed 
ranches  in  California.  The  superior  development 
of  this  grand  ranche  of  24,000  acres,  with  its  fruit 
farms,  grain  fields,  sheep  and  stock  farms,  was 
not  like  too  many  of  the  great  ranches  of  Cali- 
fornia, which  are  about  half  or  one-quarter  im- 
proved. Here  every  acre  is  made  to  bring  forth 
the  choicest  and  the  best.  Every  road  is  graded, 
worked  and  metamorphosed  into  the  most  charm- 
ing and  picturesque  avenues  and  drives.  The 


RECOLLECTIONS.  405 

same  taste  and  care  was  observed  in  the  houses  of 
the  different  overseers;  in  the  fine  "fruit  drying 
house;"  in  the  mill,  vdiere  only  the  very  choicest 
brand  of  flour  was  allowed  to  be  marked  and  sold ; 
in  the  banking  and  bridging  of  the  beautiful 
Chico  creek,  from  which  the  ranche  and  adjoining 
city  are  named.  And  in  this  self-same  gem  of  a 
little  city  of  which  the  General  was  the  proprietor, 
his  wise,  sensible  and  kindly  care  is  also  seen. 

In  Chico  the  people,  almost  to  an  individual, 
own  their  houses,  and  are  ambitious  to  cul- 
tivate their  grounds  and  door  plats  to  the  best 
advantage.  With  them  Chico  is  home;  its  order, 
its  business,  its  churches,  its  benevolences — every- 
thing, in  fact,  but  its  saloon,  belongs  to  them,  and 
all  are  interested  in  making  the  most  of  it.  Here 
one  sees  nothing  of  the  raggedness  of  old  tumble 
down  adobe  houses,  or  of  the  thriftlessness  which 
meets  the  eye  in  so  many  of  the  smaller  California 
towns.  And  which  want  of  thrift  and  care  are  the 
result  of  the  wine  and  brandy  stills,  the  adjuncts 
of  her  vineyards.  Chico  has  nothing  of  that  air. 
In  addition  to  all  her  other  attractions  she  has,  also, 
a  large  and  most  efficient  Woman's  Christian  Tem- 
perance union,  with  Mrs.  General  Bidwell  the 
honored  president. 

Stockton  and  Sacramento  was  also  visited.  In 
the  Capitol  we  in  common  with  all  who  look  on  it, 
could  but  admire  the  beautiful  marble,  of  "Colum- 
bus at  the  Court  of  Isabella,"  presented  to  the 
state  by  D.  (3.  Mills,  one  of  her  adopted  sons. 

The  great,  wonderful,  conglomerate  city  of  San 


400  RECOLLECTIONS. 

Francisco,  with  her  wealth  and  taste  and  grand 
architecture,  and  palatial  hotels,  and  cars  and  nob 
hills;  with  her  aristocracy  and  her  squalor;  with 
her  Chinese  quarters  and  her  sand  lots;  with  her 
generosity  and  great  business  interests;  her  ship- 
ping and  warehouses;  her  vast  docks;  her  magni- 
ficent harbor  and  matchless  bay— was  visited. 

We  were  at  Oakland,  too,  so  lovely  and  so  home- 
like; fit  resting  place  for  the  tired  denizens  of  San 
Francisco,  who  have  but  to  cross  the  noble  bay  to 
breathe  the  purer  atmosphere  of  peace  and  home 
life  in  that  charming  city. 

But  of  all  California's  charming  places,  the  busy 
stirring  city  of  San  Jose  in  the  Santa  Clara  Valley, 
pleased  us  most.  And  could  other  matters  have 
been  satisfactorily  arranged,  we  would  very  wil- 
lingly have  ended  our  wanderings  in  that  beautiful 
valley.  And  somewhere  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  "University  of  the  Pacific,"  an  institution 
Avhich  is  an  honor  to  the  Methodism  of  northern 
California,  situated  midway  between  San  Jose 
and  Santa  Clara,  we  would  have  purchased  a 
little  home;  and  there,  escaping  the  severe 
winters  of  our  Northwestern  climate,  have  spent 
in  the  service  of  our  God,  the  evening  years  of  life. 
But  of  this  change  we  are  still  uncertain. 

In  conclusion — as  we  old  time  preachers  were 
wont  to  say— one  word  more  to  my  many  dear  friends 
and  brethren  in  the  ministry  and  laity,  with  whom 
I  have  so  long  toiled  in  love  and  friend- 
ship. We  have  labored  together  in  these  new 
fields.  We  have  seen  the  "handful  of  corn  upon 


RECOLLECTIONS.  407 

the  tops  of  the  mountains,"  and  we  have  lived  to  see 
it  "shake  like  Lebanon."  We  have  had  the  great 
honor  of  toiling  in  some  of  the  rough  places  in  the 
Master's  vineyard.  Many  of  our  lives  have  com- 
1  Kissed  the  most  eventful  years  of  this  or  any  other 
age.  "The  little  one  Arts  become  a  thousand,  and  the 
small  one,  a  strong  nation."  Some  of  us  have 
lived  to  see  the  centennial  of  Methodism  in  the 
world  in  1839;  the  centennial  of  Methodism  in  the 
United  States  in  18G6,  and  the  centennial  of  the 
organization  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
which  has  just  closed.  We  have  seen  our  own 
denominational  institutions,  seminaries,  colleges 
and  universities,  rise  from  saplings  to  the  altitude 
and  circumference  of  mighty  trees,  which  dot  the 
land;  and  in  the  shelter  of  which  the  children 
and  youth  of  our  church  may  be,  and*  are,  safely 
nurtured. 

Our  denominational  papers  and  publishing  in- 
terests, from  small  beginnings  have  become  mighty 
factors  in  the  onward  march  of  evangelical  truth, 
and  the  moulding  of  public  opinion.  Our  great 
church  enterprises,  the  Freedman's  Aid,  the 
Church  Extension  society,  and  our  Home  and  For- 
eign missionary  societies,  with  Sunday  school  and 
Tract  associations,  have  come  into  existence,  and 
have  attained  their  well  developed  proportions  in 
our  day. 

We  have  lived  through  a  bloody  fratricidal  war. 
We  have  heard  the  clanking  of  the  chains  of  the 
bondmen  until  our  hearts  have  ached  with  very 
anguish  for  our  shame.  We  have  lived  to  see 


408  EECOLLECTIONS. 

those  chains  wrenched  into  atoms,  by  the  breath 
of  the  blast  of  His  nostrils,  and  fall,  never  to  be 
lifted  again. 

And  now,  beloved,  what  wait  we  for?  To  be 
faithful  unto  death;  to  preach  the  Word,  and  the 
acceptable  year  of  the  Lord;  "to  be  doers  of  the 
Word,  and  not  hearers  only;"  and  to  be  ready  to 
render  our  account  with  joy,  and  enter  into  that 
"rest  which  remaineth  for  the  people  of  God." 

My  dear  brothers  and  sisters,  I  charge  you  all, 
before  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  before  God,  the 
judge  of  all,  that  you  hold  fast  your  faith  and  let 
nothing  come  between  you  and  Christ.  Put  your- 
selves into  the  inner  circle  of  His  fellowship,  and 
see  to  it  that  His  atoning  blood  washes  you  clean. 

Most  of  those  we  loved  are  with  the  immortals. 
And  many  times  have  we  pledged  ourselves  to 
meet  them  on  "Canaan's  happy  shore."  The 
Master's  voice  is  sweetly  calling:  "Fear  not,  I  am 
with  thee."  "Be  thou  faithful  unto  death."  "He 
that  overcometh  shall  inherit  all  things."  Many  of 
our  dear  ones  are  waiting  to  welcome  us  within  the 
pearly  gates.  Heaven  only  can  supply  us  with 
language  which  can  describe  the  joy  that  shall 
fill  and  thrill  and  overwhelm  us,  when  together  we 
bow  before  Him  "who  hath  loved  us  and  redeemed 
us  and  washed  us  in  His  own  blood;"  and  who  "hath 
made  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God  and  the  Lamb 
forever."  Let  us,  then,  rejoice  and  be  exceeding 
glad;  for  all  this  shall  be  ours  in  a  few  days  hence. 
Amen. 


RECOLLECTIONS.  409 

And  while  waiting,  let  us  sing  with  Bro.  Mark 
Trafton: — 

"Abide  with  us,  the  evening  shadows  gather 
In  the  low  vale;  and  on  the  sluggish  stream 

Chill  mists  come  creeping  up,  whose  thick  folds  sever 
From  our  dim  sight  the  further  bank  serene. 

"The  evening  comes;  the  day's  departing  glory 
Just  gilds  the  edges  of  Time's  flying  cloud. 

We  hear  low  murrmiriugs  of  life's  titful  story, 
As  distant  echoes  from  the  hurrying  crowd. 
*  *  ***** 

"O  traveler  from  regions  dim  and  distant, 
Which  our  short  vision  never  yet  explored, 

Where  dwells  the  One  supreme  and  self  existent, 
Where  earth's  lost  treasures  still  we  deem  are  stored. 

"Stay,  thou,  and  tell,  while  yet  the  dawning  slumbers, 
The  mysteries  of  that  home  land  rich  and  rare! 

Entranced,  as  listening  to  the  flowing  numbers, 
These  eyes  shall  close,  and  waking — find  us  there!" 


THE    END. 


^-~ 'Vyf. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBAN* 


